Why single-use should become a thing of the past

US President Donald Trump yesterday signed an executive order overturning a policy to phase out federal purchases of single-use plastic items, including straws. Under the Biden administration's policy, single use plastics would have been removed from federal food-service, packaging and events by 2027 and from all federal operations by 2035.

Speaking to reporters as he signed the order, Trump said, "It’s a ridiculous situation. We’re going back to plastic straws." Speaking of paper straws, he added, "These things don't work...I've had them many times, and on occasion, they break, they explode."

Plastic straws are a particular problem for our planet, because they are too small to be recycled. This means that the majority of them end up in landfill, where they will remain for hundreds of years. Straws that end up in the world's oceans simply add to the plastic waste already floating there.

Up to 12 million tonnes of plastic finds its way to the world's oceans every year and there is already up to 199 million tonnes of plastic waste in the oceans.

Currently, about 460 million tonnes of new plastic is made each year, with only around 10% of it being recycled. Some 40% of new plastic production is of single-use items. The amount of plastic being made is expected to increase to almost 600 million tonnes by 2050.

Over 400 million straws are estimated to be used in the US each day. That's potentially 146 billion straws per year! It's easy to understand how that much plastic could have a detrimental impact on the environment. Plastic doesn't rot away naturally. However, in oceans, it can become brittle after being exposed to strong sunlight for prolonged periods. This means that small pieces can break off, forming 'microplastic' - tiny pieces of plastic. Microplastics are found in every one of the world's oceans, and can even be found in the air.

However, President Trump's nemesis - the paper straw - isn't great for the planet either. Paper straws tend to contain per - and - polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), otherwise known as 'forever chemicals'. There are currently more than 9,000 different PFAS and they can all survive for a long time without breaking down and accumulate within living organisms. They can cause a range of illnesses in humans. Add to that the fact that paper straws emit greenhouse gases when they break down in a landfill, and it's apparent that they aren't quite the solution they've been made out to be.

Of course, the fact that single-use plastic (or paper) straws exist doesn't mean that consumers have to use them. You have the choice to REFUSE a single-use straw.

The best straws are reusable ones. These can be made from plastic, bamboo or metal and they're much more robust than their single-use equivalents. This means that they can be washed and reused many hundreds, or even thousands of times.

So next time you're offered a straw in your drink, think: do you really need it, or could you do without it?

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