Another day, another proposition of rollback!
President Donald Trump took to social media to share his plan to ban paper straws and bring back the plastic ones. The US President announced that he will soon sign an executive order to end the Joe Biden-led previous administration's plan to ban plastic straws in the federal government.
His social media post on Truth Social read, “I will be signing an Executive Order next week ending the ridiculous Biden push for Paper Straws, which don’t work. BACK TO PLASTIC!”
However, this is not the first time Trump has spoken out about plastic straws.
During his 2020 re-election campaign, his team sold red plastic straws with the word "Trump" written on them, directly challenging the move towards paper straws, which he criticized as ineffective.
However, Trump’s proposition to bring back plastic in the era where it is advised to limit the usage of plastic as much as we can - prompted questions on whether biodegradable straws are worse for human health and the environment than those made of plastic.
Shifting to paper straws:
The Biden administration last year ordered a phaseout of single-use plastic from the federal government's food service operations, events, and packaging by 2027, and from all other federal operations by 2035. This was a step toward lowering the country's dependency on single-use plastics.
Biden's efforts to reduce plastic use were done with the EPA.
On the other hand, Trump has a stance that is more industry-friendly when it comes to plastic. He has vehemently opposed the Green New Deal, which proposed policies to address climate change through legislation. During his first administration, Trump rolled back former President Barack Obama's regulations around curbing plastic waste and promoting alternatives.
Are paper straws better than plastic ones?
Paper straws have been touted as a more environmentally friendly option.
However, one study published in 2023 in the journal Food Additives and Contaminants found that they might not be as friendly to the human body.
Scientists in Belgium compared plastic straws with paper and other biodegradable straws regarding the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.
What are PFAs?
PFAS encompass thousands of man-made chemicals found in everyday items like nonstick cookware, firefighting foams, grease-resistant food wrappers, water-resistant clothing, and other items. PFAS, known as "forever chemicals" because of the long time they take to break down, can cause harm in high exposure amounts.
Scientists found that paper straws and other biodegradable straws contained PFAS at an alarming rate, with the chemicals detected in 18 out of 20 brands.
According to the study, plastic straws also contained PFAS and the same study found the chemicals in three out of four brands.
Meanwhile, a 2021 study published in the journal Chemosphere also found that most paper or biodegradable straws tested had detectable amounts of PFAS in them whereas plastic straws had no measurable PFAS.
According to USA Today, small amounts of PFAS are not harmful themselves, but rather their ability to build up over time, including in the body, is what poses the most risk to one's health.
The presence of PFAS in paper straws could make them bad for the environment.
As various outlets including ScienceAlert and USA Today reported, because of their PFAS presence, paper straws might come with environmental consequences, as the chemicals in the straw can infiltrate groundwater or waterways as the item breaks down.
However, the utilization of paper straws has a positive impact on minimizing the amount of plastic waste as they are more easily decompose, environmentally friendly, and safe if accidentally swallowed by humans.
Several states like California, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington have taken legislative measures to phase out plastic straws, particularly at restaurants. However, in many of these instances, plastic straws are still available to the customer if they ask for one.
Netizens are reacting to Trump's new announcement. “Thanks for reversing that decision! I can’t tell you how many times I have found paper straws in the pockets of my three teenage boys while doing laundry. They mess up washer/dryer resulting in rewash. I bet we are wasting more energy and water now than when we had plastic straws,” one X user wrote. Another commented, “See these are one of those things I disagree with him on. Plastic straws definitely are better than paper, but they do pose a serious problem for the environment. Can't we do a compromise where we can do those corn-derived straws that break down much sooner than plastic? I hate it when I see turtles with those straws caught in their beaks.” “Why are you both so obsessed with destroying the Planet? You can go live on Mars if you like but at least keep the Earth plastic pollution-free for the rest of us," a netizen asked.
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