Should We Continue to Produce Plastic Straws?

Recently, plastic straws have made headlines in the news. Most notably, Starbucks has made a commitment to get rid of the use plastic straws from all of its stores by 2020. Instead, the well-known Seattle based company will be offering strawless lids or straws made out of alternative, more environmentally friendly materials. It’s expected that this new policy can reduce the number of plastic straws by one billion from Starbucks stores. This push for sustainability is surely a good sign that Starbucks intends to become more forward thinking and environmentally conscious. With a well-known company making this executive decision, it may only be a matter of time until other food companies follow suit.

It has been well documented that plastic straws are harmful to the environment. From harming ocean life to filling landfills, plastic straws often do not end up being recycled. This is partly due to the fact that these straws are often made up out of polypropylene, which is a type five plastic. Although this type of plastic can be recycled, most recycling centers do not accept them. So over the long run, what happens to these straws that are not recycled? Plastic straws are unfortunately not biodegradable. This means that they cannot be naturally broken down by the environment and microorganisms. However, plastic straws are degradable. Over time, the plastic will break down into smaller and smaller pieces. The plastic becomes so small that the naked eye cannot detect it anymore. As a result, the plastic particles just linger, and continue to accumulate the Earth.

A straw was recovered from a turtle’s nostril.

Perhaps the worst part is when plastic straws end up in oceans. Home to many aquatic animals, the oceans have been littered with an enormous amount of trash. As of January 2019, plastic straws account for the 8th most found trash in the ocean. These straws are especially harmful to animals because they can easily be ingested. Animals such as turtles, fish, birds, and otters have become severely injured (and in many cases, have died) after directly coming into contact with plastic straws. Besides being directly ingested, the straws can also get stuck in animals’ nostrils, beak, face, and neck. In a sense, it becomes very heartbreaking to know that an animal is suffering because someone lacked the due diligence to recycle their plastics. When an animal is recovered from the ocean, more often than ever, the cause of their death was due to ingesting plastics (many times, plastic straws are responsible).

Due to causing large repercussions to the environment, one might wonder why a plastic straw ban has not been immediately enforced. However, many people with disabilities rely on straws in order to consume food and drinks. For example, people who cannot move their arms and legs need straws to drink independently. Therefore, straws are extremely necessary for these people. In recent times, there have been proposals for metal, paper, or wood straws, but this has proven to be uncomfortable and often more expensive. Wood and metal can be too strong and cause harm to some people, while paper can get too soggy.  Therefore, restaurants and public places often serve plastic straws so these people with disabilities have no choice but to use them. People can use reusable straws at their home, but these public places do not offer these variations. Also, if cost is taken into account, it is well documented that plastic straws are less expensive than alternative straws. More than a quarter of disabled people are below the poverty so having the least expensive method to drinking is critical for them. Plastic straws provide a solution to this, and has been the answer for many years.

As a result the debate regrading the ban of plastic straws is much more complicated than what initially meets the eye. Although we see images of animals in pain, with plastic straws being the culprit, we must also remember that many humans rely on plastic straws in order to live. In my opinion, plastics straws should be available at every food company. However, they should only be provided if requested by the customer. The customer should have a good reason to use the plastic straws of course, but nonetheless, these straws should be available. I think in this way, companies can reduce the number of plastic straws being used, but at the same time, cater to those who need them for special circumstances. For example, a person with Parkinson’s should be granted a plastic straw, while a healthy person who just wants to casually sip their drink with a plastic straw should be denied of this request. I believe Starbucks is heading in the right direction, but their policy is a bit extreme and worrisome for some consumers. A middle ground would be the best solution. This debate will only become more intense as more companies are forced to make the decision about plastic straws.