Plastic Straws 101

You've certainly heard the hype around banning plastic straws. In this post, I'll explain why straws are bad but why villainizing them is not ideal. 

Why are straws bad?

Straws are bad for our environment primarily because they are plastic. Plastic pollution is v harmful because plastic never fully biodegrades. Instead, it breaks into smaller and smaller pieces that pollute our land, air and water, animals, and even our own bodies. These "microplastics" can physically injure animals and help transport invasive species, and contain chemicals that can mimic hormones in our bodies potentially cause more chemical problems that we haven't discovered yet. 

Some people argue that straws are a particularly harmful plastic product because they are not recycled in the U.S. Although most straws could technically be recycled, they fall through the cracks of standard recycling machinery and thus, are never actually recycled. In other words, it's not that plastic straws can't be recycled, but that our recycling machinery doesn't accommodate them. This means that unlike other plastics that just probably won't be recycled, plastic straws definitely won't be recycled. (Yes, our recycling system is all kinds of bonkers).

bottom line: Straws contribute to pollution because they are plastic and cannot be recycled in the U.S.

Why is everyone talking about straws?

Everyone is talking about straws partially because plastic straws cannot be recycled. However, a lot of other products that cannot be recycled and are arguably more harmful than straws (i.e. styrofoam) have not received as much public attention as straws. From my perspective, this is due to two factors: media attention and the ease with which most people can live without straws. 

Straws have gotten media attention because they have the particularly gut-wrenching tendency to get caught in animals' noses. Pictures and videos of straws harming turtles and other sea creatures have gone viral, which has contributed to the villainization of straws in the U.S. The popularity of the VSCO girl aesthetic has also brought media attention to the straw issue and has deemed rejecting straws as a way of life rather than just a mundane choice. 

And because rejecting straws is just a mundane choice for people who do not have a medical need for straws, people can easily get on board with this movement. Things like styrofoam or number 7 plastics are harder to avoid because most consumers don't know when their packages will be shipped in styrofoam or what a "number 7" plastic looks like. On the other hand, straws appear in very predictable contexts, so consumers can very easily anticipate and avoid them. Thus, the straw ban movement has skyrocketed to popularity partially because it is an easily achievable way for consumers to feel like they are part of the plastic pollution solution. 

Bottom line: Straws aren’t our worst pollutants, but pictures of animals with straws up their noses are everywhere and it's super easy for most consumers to get on board with the trend. 

What's being done about plastic straws?

So far a lot of states, cities and businesses in the U.S. have banned plastic straws, including California, which banned restaurants from automatically providing plastic straws; Seattle, WA, which banned restaurants from supplying plastic straws and utensils; Portland, MA, which has banned the sale and distribution of plastics straws; and Starbucks, which has pledged to remove all straws from their stores by 2020. More places and companies are expected to ban or restrict the use of plastic straws in the near future. 

Are straw bans helpful?

Although the straw ban is well-intentioned, solely banning straws will not effectively reduce plastic pollution. Co-director of the Stanford University Center for Ocean Solutions Jim Leape estimates that straws make up less than 1 percent of ocean pollution. If the straw movement can create a domino effect for banning major contributors to plastic pollution, it could lead to a huge reduction in plastic pollution. However, movements to ban other harmful plastics and materials have not yet taken off to the extent of the straw ban. 

Banning straws could also have an adverse effect on people who have a medical need for straws, like people who have motor planning delays or other motor disabilities. For some people with disabilities, paper straws aren't an option because they can accidentally bite through the straw or the straw may collapse when used in hot drinks. Metal or silicone straws often aren't an option because they cannot bend as easily as plastic straws. In restaurants without plastic straws, some people with disabilities are left without any options for drinking, or with the stigma of requesting a straw. This reason alone is enough to make strict bans on plastic straws a bad idea. 

Bottom line: Straws aren't a significant contributor to plastic pollution and banning straws could leave some people with disabilities without a way to drink. 

What's better than a straw ban?

Instead of trying to ban straws, we should focus on bigger issues like transitioning to renewable energies, reducing litter from fishing gear or using fewer plastic bottles. Although these issues aren't as simple as swapping a plastic straw for a metal one, they will ultimately make a bigger difference in limiting plastic pollution than banning straws. To help initiate these bigger changes, call your representatives and let them know that we need them to fight for policies bigger than straw bans.