Banning Plastic Straws by Maggie Gilbert
How many people have become victims of the lying trap that plastic straws absolutely must be banned? The images of the poor, helpless, injured turtles trapped in the wads of plastic because of human misuse of the plastic straws. The majority of people who view those images believe the horrible lies spread primarily by Starbucks and those referred to as “VSCO girls.” The paper and metal straw alternatives have both caused issues to the environment, and the plastic straw is proven to be a better straw option because it is easily accessible, user-friendly, and the best straw for the environment.
When visiting certain cities in states such as Florida and California, the only option provided is the paper straw. The truth is, paper straws are a terrible alternative, and they disintegrate the minute they encounter water. Who would want to drink out of a soggy straw? Senator Kamala Harris spoke to Erin Burnett of CNN about her terrible experience with paper straws. She states, “I’m going to be honest-it’s really difficult to drink out of a paper straw”(Perry). If a paper straw cannot serve its purpose and sustain its shape in liquid, then it is not the best option. Additionally, paper straws are advertised to be biodegradable; however, “Paper straws are not actually biodegradable and use significantly more energy to produce than plastic straws” (Bufkin). If the paper straws use more energy to produce, the factories producing them are emitting more waste into the air than plastic straws ever would. Paper straws cannot be recycled, and “plastic products that encounter food are recyclable, but paper products, which absorb food and waste, are not” (Bufkin). Imagine this in terms of turtles, for every plastic straw used instead of a plastic one, the landfills build and humans put the turtles more at risk for entrapment in waste. Is it worth endangering turtles to have a trendy straw? In 2020, New York, California, and Hawaii will initiate their bans for plastic straws. (Woodward). The populations of those three states added together is 49,376,284 people. If every person in those states used at least one paper straw a day, 49,376,284 paper straws would be carelessly thrown into the environment each day and could find their way back to the ocean to harm the helpless turtles. Americans should be asking themselves not what straw they should use, rather; how can they use their resources wisely to recycle more, and waste less.
An alternative that is perhaps worse than the paper straw is the reusable metal straw. Avid supporters of the ban plastic straws movement proudly carry their reusable straws, cup, and cleaners for the straws. Who cannot spot these people from a mile away? These straws are bulky, hard to use, and dangerous because of their ability to poke someone in the eye. An incident occurred where “a British woman was impaled by a metal straw after falling at her home, [...]”(Vigdor). The woman ended up dying a horrible death from a metal straw, and “in 2016, the coffee chain [Starbucks] recalled stainless steel straws sold at its shop because they posed an injury risk”(Vigdor). If Starbucks, an avid supporter of the cause to ban plastic straws recalls metal straws, then the cause is not truly authentic. Statistically, “the energy used to create one metal straw is roughly equivalent to creating 90 plastic straws, and also produces carbon emissions equivalent to 150 plastic straws”(Freeman). The ocean can slowly be cleaned out and technology can be created to filter and refine the plastic in the oceans; however, the air is something that cannot be fixed, and as humans continue to produce emissions, the quality will eventually require everyone to wear a mask similar to Chinese citizens.What will the world end up like because of one trend? Metal straws are falsely advertised, as “many of these items [metal straws] are not labelled due to their ‘eco-friendly’ branding strategy as they are not required to list any ingredients since the straw is not being consumed”(Freeman). The majority of metal straws contain nickel, but “safe metal straws should be made with food-grade stainless steel as any other materials may corrode over time”(Freeman). Nickel is not an appropriate metal to use for these straws, and many manufacturers use it anyways. The colored metal straws are dangerous because “[...] painted or colored straws also pose a risk of either contaminating the drink or containing unsafe chemicals such as Bisphenol A(BPA), which is known to cause an array of health risks” (Freeman). The metal straws are consistently proven to be harmful, and pose more of a threat than a plastic straw ever would. Is the metal straw an option that should even be allowed on the market?
Plastic straws are not only the best option because of how terrible the competition performs, but they have their own benefits. They are actually better for the planet, and “plastic straws are simply not killing the planet, and science just can’t stop proving it” (Freeman). The United States seems to be the trendiest when it comes to straw options; however, “the United States contributes less than 1 percent of the world’s plastic ocean pollution annually. Plastic straws account for less than 1 percent of the less than 1 percent the United States dumps into the ocean” (Freeman). If those planning to outlaw plastic straws feel so strongly about the issue, why are they targeting the United States when the main contributors of plastic straw waste are other countries? The plastic straw affects more than just sea turtles, and nations. Plastic straws are the only option people with disabilities are able to use without posing a choking or health hazard. In order to stop metal and paper straws from being utilized, would it take someone else dying? It was discovered that “ [...] drinking takes complex motor control, and the combination of tensile strength, flexibility, affordability, and sterility make disposable plastic straws the perfect accessibility tool”(Perry). Those with disabilities and average citizens have found the plastic straw to be the most convenient for ease of use and overall functionality. The next time a sea turtle picture pops up on the screen with the endless descriptive adjectives making plastic straws appear as the villains, remember the true facts.
There are numerous other solutions to the disputed issue of the plastic entrapped turtles besides banning plastic straws. The plastic straw has triumphed over its competition, but there is still much improvement needed to remove metal and paper straws from society. Would the human race prefer an innocent child to die from misusing a metal straw or a sea turtle entrapped in plastic? Is a paper or metal straw worth the impact on the environment? Think about this when choosing a straw.
Works Cited
Bufkin, Ellie. “Why Plastic Straws Are Actually Better For The Planet Than Paper Straws.” The Federalist, 17 Sept. 2019, thefederalist.com/2019/09/17/why-plastic-straws-are-actually-better-for-the-planet-than-p aper-straws/.
Perry, Opinion by David M. “Let This Be the Last (Plastic) Straw Debate.” CNN, Cable News Network, 5 Sept. 2019, www.cnn.com/2019/09/05/opinions/climate-town-hall-straws-and-fossil-fuels-perry/inde x.html.
Vigdor, Neil. “Fatal Accident With Metal Straw Highlights a Risk.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 July 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/07/11/world/europe/metal-straws-death.html.
Woodward, Aylin. “In Some Countries, People Face Jail Time for Using Plastic Bags. Here Are All the Places That Have Banned Plastic Bags and Straws so Far.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 3 Apr. 2019, www.businessinsider.com/plastic-bans-around-the-world-2019-4.
How many people have become victims of the lying trap that plastic straws absolutely must be banned? The images of the poor, helpless, injured turtles trapped in the wads of plastic because of human misuse of the plastic straws. The majority of people who view those images believe the horrible lies spread primarily by Starbucks and those referred to as “VSCO girls.” The paper and metal straw alternatives have both caused issues to the environment, and the plastic straw is proven to be a better straw option because it is easily accessible, user-friendly, and the best straw for the environment.
When visiting certain cities in states such as Florida and California, the only option provided is the paper straw. The truth is, paper straws are a terrible alternative, and they disintegrate the minute they encounter water. Who would want to drink out of a soggy straw? Senator Kamala Harris spoke to Erin Burnett of CNN about her terrible experience with paper straws. She states, “I’m going to be honest-it’s really difficult to drink out of a paper straw”(Perry). If a paper straw cannot serve its purpose and sustain its shape in liquid, then it is not the best option. Additionally, paper straws are advertised to be biodegradable; however, “Paper straws are not actually biodegradable and use significantly more energy to produce than plastic straws” (Bufkin). If the paper straws use more energy to produce, the factories producing them are emitting more waste into the air than plastic straws ever would. Paper straws cannot be recycled, and “plastic products that encounter food are recyclable, but paper products, which absorb food and waste, are not” (Bufkin). Imagine this in terms of turtles, for every plastic straw used instead of a plastic one, the landfills build and humans put the turtles more at risk for entrapment in waste. Is it worth endangering turtles to have a trendy straw? In 2020, New York, California, and Hawaii will initiate their bans for plastic straws. (Woodward). The populations of those three states added together is 49,376,284 people. If every person in those states used at least one paper straw a day, 49,376,284 paper straws would be carelessly thrown into the environment each day and could find their way back to the ocean to harm the helpless turtles. Americans should be asking themselves not what straw they should use, rather; how can they use their resources wisely to recycle more, and waste less.
An alternative that is perhaps worse than the paper straw is the reusable metal straw. Avid supporters of the ban plastic straws movement proudly carry their reusable straws, cup, and cleaners for the straws. Who cannot spot these people from a mile away? These straws are bulky, hard to use, and dangerous because of their ability to poke someone in the eye. An incident occurred where “a British woman was impaled by a metal straw after falling at her home, [...]”(Vigdor). The woman ended up dying a horrible death from a metal straw, and “in 2016, the coffee chain [Starbucks] recalled stainless steel straws sold at its shop because they posed an injury risk”(Vigdor). If Starbucks, an avid supporter of the cause to ban plastic straws recalls metal straws, then the cause is not truly authentic. Statistically, “the energy used to create one metal straw is roughly equivalent to creating 90 plastic straws, and also produces carbon emissions equivalent to 150 plastic straws”(Freeman). The ocean can slowly be cleaned out and technology can be created to filter and refine the plastic in the oceans; however, the air is something that cannot be fixed, and as humans continue to produce emissions, the quality will eventually require everyone to wear a mask similar to Chinese citizens.What will the world end up like because of one trend? Metal straws are falsely advertised, as “many of these items [metal straws] are not labelled due to their ‘eco-friendly’ branding strategy as they are not required to list any ingredients since the straw is not being consumed”(Freeman). The majority of metal straws contain nickel, but “safe metal straws should be made with food-grade stainless steel as any other materials may corrode over time”(Freeman). Nickel is not an appropriate metal to use for these straws, and many manufacturers use it anyways. The colored metal straws are dangerous because “[...] painted or colored straws also pose a risk of either contaminating the drink or containing unsafe chemicals such as Bisphenol A(BPA), which is known to cause an array of health risks” (Freeman). The metal straws are consistently proven to be harmful, and pose more of a threat than a plastic straw ever would. Is the metal straw an option that should even be allowed on the market?
Plastic straws are not only the best option because of how terrible the competition performs, but they have their own benefits. They are actually better for the planet, and “plastic straws are simply not killing the planet, and science just can’t stop proving it” (Freeman). The United States seems to be the trendiest when it comes to straw options; however, “the United States contributes less than 1 percent of the world’s plastic ocean pollution annually. Plastic straws account for less than 1 percent of the less than 1 percent the United States dumps into the ocean” (Freeman). If those planning to outlaw plastic straws feel so strongly about the issue, why are they targeting the United States when the main contributors of plastic straw waste are other countries? The plastic straw affects more than just sea turtles, and nations. Plastic straws are the only option people with disabilities are able to use without posing a choking or health hazard. In order to stop metal and paper straws from being utilized, would it take someone else dying? It was discovered that “ [...] drinking takes complex motor control, and the combination of tensile strength, flexibility, affordability, and sterility make disposable plastic straws the perfect accessibility tool”(Perry). Those with disabilities and average citizens have found the plastic straw to be the most convenient for ease of use and overall functionality. The next time a sea turtle picture pops up on the screen with the endless descriptive adjectives making plastic straws appear as the villains, remember the true facts.
There are numerous other solutions to the disputed issue of the plastic entrapped turtles besides banning plastic straws. The plastic straw has triumphed over its competition, but there is still much improvement needed to remove metal and paper straws from society. Would the human race prefer an innocent child to die from misusing a metal straw or a sea turtle entrapped in plastic? Is a paper or metal straw worth the impact on the environment? Think about this when choosing a straw.
Works Cited
Bufkin, Ellie. “Why Plastic Straws Are Actually Better For The Planet Than Paper Straws.” The Federalist, 17 Sept. 2019, thefederalist.com/2019/09/17/why-plastic-straws-are-actually-better-for-the-planet-than-p aper-straws/.
Perry, Opinion by David M. “Let This Be the Last (Plastic) Straw Debate.” CNN, Cable News Network, 5 Sept. 2019, www.cnn.com/2019/09/05/opinions/climate-town-hall-straws-and-fossil-fuels-perry/inde x.html.
Vigdor, Neil. “Fatal Accident With Metal Straw Highlights a Risk.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 July 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/07/11/world/europe/metal-straws-death.html.
Woodward, Aylin. “In Some Countries, People Face Jail Time for Using Plastic Bags. Here Are All the Places That Have Banned Plastic Bags and Straws so Far.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 3 Apr. 2019, www.businessinsider.com/plastic-bans-around-the-world-2019-4.