Trump is right again!
Paper straws have been promoted as an easy way to make everyday drinks greener. But a South Korean government-commissioned study has challenged that reputation, finding that conventional plastic straws performed better on most of the environmental measures assessed.
The research, commissioned by South Korea’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, compared conventional plastic, paper, biodegradable plastic and bio-based polyethylene straws. It examined 16 categories, following the products from raw material production through disposal.
The report was disclosed by People Power Party lawmaker Kim Wi-sang, according to The Korea Herald’s reporting on the findings.
The Korea Herald reports the study found conventional plastic straws had the lowest impact in 10 of 16 categories, including climate change, human toxicity, particulate matter, and acidification.
Paper straws had 6.33 times the carcinogenic impact and twice the acidification impact of standard plastic. Biodegradable plastic straws had 3.34 times the carcinogenic impact and 1.98 times the acidification impact. Bio-based polyethylene straws (e.g., from sugarcane) had 16 times the carcinogenic impact and six times the acidification impact.
Paper straws are rarely recycled because they are too small for sorting equipment, and their coatings and adhesives make them hard to process, increasing energy use and allowing microplastics into recycled material. This research is consistent with a an investigation Belgian scientists conducted in 2023 regarding plastic straws too.
President Trump issued an executive order last year that reversed the Biden administration’s promotion of paper straws and instructed the federal government to resume using plastic straws.
However, South Korea has a stake in the issue: it restricted plastic straws at cafes and restaurants in 2022. A survey found that nearly 90% of Koreans prefer traditional plastic straws—and they may be environmentally justified in that preference.
You would think that environmentalists would have taken all of this into account before pushing for replacing plastic straws with paper ones, but that may be the point. Not just virtue signaling but, ultimately, to be harmful to human health. One more method to help kill people off.
PHOTO CREDIT: Pixabay
