Are Paper Straws Eco-Friendly? What About Plastic Straws?
Are paper straws always better? Not always, and here’s why
Using paper straws may give one the feeling of being nicer to the planet, but it might just be an illusion by big oil corporations to make you feel like you’re the problem. :(
Let’s look at the impact of paper straws and plastic straws:
Paper Straws | Plastic Straws | |
|---|---|---|
Manufacturing | Energy and water-intensive, trees need to be cut down | Requires extracting oil from stores, emits GHGs, and involves harmful chemicals (phthalates, BPA, etc.) |
Usage | Fall apart very quickly | Can be used for a long while |
Cost | More expensive | Cheap |
Disposal | Often contains chemicals that are not readily biodegradable | Takes 100s of years to break down, releasing microplastics in the process, often ending up in the bodies of animals who mistake them for food |
Overall Environmental Footprint | Higher footprint from manufacture and transport, low footprint from disposal when done smartly | High footprint from fossil fuel extraction, challenging to dispose of |
Some paper straws have an additional plastic or wax coating to enhance their strength, thus reducing the biodegradability of the straw. At the same time, some manufacturers use certified sustainable sources like FSC-certified wood. Some brands manufacture fully biodegradable and compostable straws. However, this area is subject to what materials manufacturers use in producing straws.
Regardless, paper straws have a slight edge, courtesy of the regrowth of trees and ease of biodegradability. But they’re not the winner when it comes to straws.
So What’s the Best Solution?
Plastic straws propagate the dependence on fossil fuels, while paper straws are energy and resource-intensive, not to mention a contributor to deforestation. Neither of them looks good when it comes to improving personal sustainability.
Given that both these types of straws are energy and resource-intensive, the best option starts to loom over the fog of consumption clears. Not using a straw is way better than using one that consumes a lot of resources and energy! This cuts out resource use entirely.
There may come a situation where you have no choice but to use a straw. Restaurants, bars, and cafes almost always give you paper straws. When offered a straw in a paper wrapper, I often ask the server to take it back, or I don’t use it. Unfortunately, some of them serve drinks with straws already in them. A possible workaround could be asking them not to put a straw in your drink while placing your order.
But if you really can’t drink without a straw, try a metal or a bamboo straw. Granted, the resource and energy intensity of metal straws is as bad as that of paper and plastic straws, but you can use them repeatedly, with almost no limit. Using them hundreds of times can offset their footprint compared to disposables. And here’s a goldmine: they don’t ruin the taste at all!
The Bigger Picture
It’s not the consumer’s fault. It is because companies market the wrong products. Be vigilant about which products have a lower impact on the planet than the rest. Your awareness and knowledge about how certain products impact indigenous peoples and natives can significantly enhance your ability to choose sustainable and ethical products. Sustainability is not about swapping one disposable for another. It’s rethinking what we truly need. If you can refuse a straw, do it. If not, go reusable. It’s that simple!