Paper or Plastic Straws?

This paper was written with the sole intention of informing consumers about the products they may currently be buying.  Hopefully with enough demand from consumers industries will supply safer and more sustainable products.

In recent years there has been increasing awareness of the environmental problems in the oceans caused by plastic, in particular plastic straws. Plastic straws take up to 1000 years to decompose.  In that time frame it can cause the demise of generations of marine life through ingestion and suffocation.  In addition, toxic chemicals are released into the atmosphere whenever straws are produced, which can lead to serious health problems in people. On the surface this should be an easy problem to solve.  People could simply stop using plastic straws. However, on closer inspection there are a few obstacles in the way that might make this feat hard to achieve.  

Historically straws have been around since at least 3000 BC. There is a picture on a Sumerian tomb of two men drinking beer.  These straws were apparently made of gold.  Drinking beer was a more expensive pastime back then than it is today.  Straws did not become popular in the western world until the 1800’s.  These were made of ryegrass.  This was cheaper than gold.  However, it has the disadvantage of changing the flavor and deteriorating into the drink. 

🐢 HISTORY OF PAPER STRAWS 🪸

Paper straws were invented in 1888, and were used until the 1960’s.  They were biodegradable, did not change the flavor, and most did not dissolve into the drink.  However, after 30 minutes paper tends to lose its shape and the drinking material tends to stick to it.  In the 1960s plastic straws were invented.  They kept their shape and were inert.  They were an instant success. In 2017 Americans alone threw out 500 million plastic straws daily. Across the world 8 million tons of plastic enter the ocean every year.

In this same year, 2017, a video of a sea turtle with a plastic straw in its nose went viral.  This type of pollution has been interfering with underwater ecosystems, killing coral reefs and other sea animals since the 1970s.  However, it took until the 2017 turtle video to make the general public aware of the scope of the problem.

🧉 PAPER STRAWS GROWING POPULARITY 🧋

In the last three years there has been a growing awareness of the problems caused by plastics.  So there has been a return to paper straws.  Over 100 chain restaurants across the United States have agreed not to use plastic straws. Some entire cities like Seattle and Malibu have outlawed plastic straws altogether. In July 2020 Vermont banned all plastic straws in restaurants. Some of them are using paper or hay instead.  These options are more expensive and lose integrity in a relatively short time. 

Alternatives to using plastic or paper as straw material include glass, stainless steel, silicon, bamboo, paper, hay and grass, all of which are more expensive than plastic and some even slowly lose their shape in water.  Glass has the added disadvantage of being dangerous if broken.  However, they are all better for the environment than plastics. For more information about sustainable options for your home or business read The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon, A Tale of Two Papers, and/or Oh Coffee, My Coffee. 

🚫 ALTERNATIVES TO STRAWS 🧃

Another solution might be to do away with straws altogether.  However, some people have disabilities and cannot drink any other way.  They simply cannot use any other type of straw than plastic.  So there will always be some plastic straws discarded in the United States.

Currently, there is research being done to create a biodegradable straw that does not lose its integrity or change the flavor of the drink.  Until that is developed it might be wise to buy an environmentally friendly reusable straw that does not lose its shape (i.e. stainless steel, silicon, or glass) and use it when you go out to eat.  The ocean, air, and soil will contain less pollution.  This will help everyone breath and sleep more easily. It is a small step that will make a large difference to the earth and everything that depends on it.