Just how bad are plastic straws for the environment?

www.dw.com Are plastic straws really so bad for the environment? – DW – 03/09/2025

The US government has scrapped paper straws to go back to plastic. So why are the plastic variety restricted in many countries around the world in the first place?

The US government is eschewing paper straws and going back to plastic. So why are the plastic variety restricted in many countries around the world in the first place?

8 comments

Ban all single–use plastic

So. Plastic straws wouldn't end up in the ocean if we didn't have garbage islands and garbage barges (the ones over by New York and New Jersey and wherever else they are)
The focus on plastic straws is stupid imo.
It's a distraction from the root of the problem.
The trash islands are the big problem that needs addressed.

Oh common, are we really circling this discussion forever?
We need to reduce burning fossil fuels, everything else is nice, but doesn't really make a dent in the graphs.
- You are totally right saying:
  We need to reduce burning fossil fuels
  Still, we live in a triple planetary crisis, which includes 3 issues:
  climate crisis
  biodiversity loss
  garbage/pollution
  Please, do keep in mind that these issues intersect and this is why they need to be tackled in the same time.
  
  Yes, you're very right.
  It just feels so wrong talking about plastic straws, while we produce more plastic than ever. Everyone buys new phones, plastic clothes and a thousand other things all the time.
  We need to get away from single use objects to a circular economy. We need to get away from consumerism and endless growth to a society that values life and a habitable planet.
  Talking about bad straws forgets to mention the million other bad things we use and throw away.
  Yes, straws are bad. Single use plastic is bad. Individual transport is bad. Fashion clothing is bad. Littering is bad. And and and...
  If we continue to be stuck discussing plastic straws forever, our society won't last much longer than paper straws.

I remember my physics teacher - a most rational man - telling us that complaining about burning plastic waste was stupid. Of all the oil extracted from the ground, only a small fraction is turned into plastic. All the rest, the vast majority, is burned as fuel. Burning the rest, too, does not really make a difference. Heck, it could even be better for the environment, as trash incinerator facilities (at least here) have so strong legal requirements for filtering their output that the 90%+ of normal burners like cars, ships, trains, and central heatings just can't compete.

Use paper straws, still wrap them in plastic. Mission failed successfully.

8 comments