Dear EarthTalk: Are disposable plastic straws really so terrible for the environment and what are some good alternatives that won’t get mushy in liquid? — Mary B., San Francisco, CA
A single-use straw, also known as a disposable straw, is made of plastic and is intended to be thrown away after one drink. The materials that make these straws are non-biodegradable, meaning that their waste is not broken down naturally and often leads to landfill pollution. These plastic straws can take up to 200 years to decompose, and unlike organic materials, they are only fragmented into smaller pieces known as microplastics that have lasting impacts on ecosystems.
Straws are among the top waste items found in beach clean-ups and are often ingested by marine animals, leading to injury and death. According to the Journal of Science Advances, over eight million metric tons of plastic enter oceans annually, with single-use plastic straws being significant contributors.
When microplastics are consumed by marine life and enter the food chain, they eventually harm human health. “It’s an ingestion issue,” says Jon Forrest Dohlin, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society New York Aquarium. “And as it does break down to smaller and smaller pieces, it works its way into the food chain and is absorbed by animals, including, by the way, humans.” Moreover, due to the small size of disposable straws, they often fall through recycling machinery and are left to be discarded in landfills and oceans. Disposable straws also pose health risks to humans and animals through the harmful BPA chemicals that can lead to medical problems like reproductive issues, developmental delays and more.
Despite these environmental and health harms, disposable straws continue to be used as a result of the low production costs of plastic and convenience, but with plastic straws becoming an increasing climate concern, alternative straws have become a greater priority. These substitutes include straws that are either made of biodegradable or reusable materials, including paper, metal, bamboo, glass, silicone and more.
Oftentimes, the biggest complaint against low-cost biodegradable straws, specifically those made out of paper, is that they get mushy in liquid. However, it is possible to prioritize health and sustainability while also avoiding the awkward feeling of mushy materials in daily drinks. For example, metal and silicone straws drastically reduce waste, being both reusable for years and easy to clean without changing the taste of your favorite drinks. In 2019, Samantha Grindell, an author at Business Insider, wrote that while pasta straws (yes, made from pasta) worked for water, she preferred other alternatives for drinks like coffee. “I think they’re a great alternative to plastic or paper straws in restaurants, but I’d prefer to use a reusable metal straw on a day-to-day basis,” she says.
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