Paper straws are not sustainable

Paper straws are not sustainable. If you know me, you have likely heard me say this at least once. The message is clear: paper straws are not going to solve our waste problem or any other environmental problem out there.

The paper straw hype

Many big-name companies like McDonalds, A&W, The Keg and more have pledged to cut out plastic straws from their food stores. Why? Over the last two or three years, images of plastic-congested oceans, turtles with single-use plastics up their nostrils, seahorses wrapped around plastic cotton swabs, dead birds with stomachs filled with litter and other disturbing photos surfaced on the internet, creating an international uproar and demand for plastic-free goods.

Slogans like “Save the turtles” and “Keep our oceans clean” are leading the plastic-free movement. Celebrities like William Shatner pledged to ditch single-use plastic water bottles; companies like Sea2see are taking plastics from the oceans and making them into consumer goods like sunglasses. We are seeing governments starting to take the plastic problem seriously, proposing municipal or even provincial plastic bans.

While pledging to make changes like switching from plastic straws and bags to paper versions is a great first step, it is not the only or last step we can take. It also does not address the root of many of the environmental problems we face today. Let’s go more into depth on why paper straws are not sustainable.

Why are paper straws not a solution?

Paper straws address the problem of long-term plastic waste. They do not address the problem of waste itself, or the driver of that waste: consumerism.

By using single-use paper straws, we are condoning the single-use lifestyle. We are saying it is acceptable. We are saying, “well, it’s not plastic, so it’s good to use!” While you are correct that it is not plastic and that it will break down faster than plastic, it is still a single-use product that requires raw materials, energy, manpower and produces greenhouse gas emissions during production. We are substituting plastic production for deforestation. We are also still using a product that cannot be reused or repurposed: when the straws get soggy or saturated with liquid they cannot be recycled, despite being made of paper.

In simple terms, paper straws are not sustainable because they are a form of greenwashing. They allow us to use them and feel good about using them, even though we haven’t changed anything about what we’re doing. We are still using a brand new straw for a drink that may take us a few minutes to an hour to drink, and then discarding the straw, never to think of it again. We are still consuming unnecessary resources and energy, and still producing waste. But because it isn’t an “evil” plastic straw as we now deem them to be, we forget about this side of the story.

So what is the real solution?

The simple, straightforward solution is to stop using single-use straws and products altogether. They are not necessary in most cases. In cases where a straw is necessary, such as for someone with a physical disability, an elderly individual, or when drinking certain products like bubble tea, reusable metal or silicone straws are available. For the vast majority, straws are not necessary, especially single-use ones.

What can we accomplish by ditching single-use products completely?

For one, the amount of waste we produce would be drastically reduced. Think about how many times you buy a drink in a single-use cup or with a single-use straw at a coffee shop each week, or use a single-use plastic bag when shopping. Eventually those products will end up in landfills and the oceans, even if you are reusing them for a short period of time. If you switch your practices to use reusable cups, straws and bags, all of this waste will be diverted.

We also save resources and energy. Do not forget that every time we create a new product such as a straw, that requires raw materials and energy to produce. Chances are it is not being produced right next to the point of sale (i.e. when you, the consumer, get it) so fuel is required to transport it long distances, burning fossil fuels and producing greenhouse gases to get it there. While the resource and carbon footprint of one straw may not seem like much, this footprint grows every time we use a straw. If we use seven straws in one week (one drink per day), that footprint is seven times the size of that one straw. And if one million people did that for one week? That’s seven million straws. But if we use reusable products, that footprint remains the size it took to produce just one reusable straw.

All in all, we need to reduce the waste we create overall, not just change the kind of waste we are creating.

It seems so straightforward yet we aren’t doing it. Why? I think it’s the way society has developed, to run so fast-paced, to want everything on demand. We are constantly moving, not taking time to stop and think. Where are we getting our food from? Where is my waste going? How do my actions impact the world around me? We rarely ask these questions when we are moving so fast.

Asking yourself why you use single-use products that aren’t necessary is an important step in building awareness, which is then the first step in changing behaviour. By becoming aware of the issue and how you play a role in it, you can actively change your behaviours and thinking to take yourself out of that problem. Reducing your waste by cutting out single-use products and using reusable ones in their place is a great way each and every one of us can take action. If everyone takes one small action towards a less wasteful future, there will be more resources, energy and vibrancy in the world to last for generations to come.

I hope that you now see why paper straws are not sustainable, and that this post makes you think about your actions and the products you use in your own life. I encourage you to comment about your thinking, and if you plan on making any changes in your life after reading this.

To learn about other “green” misconceptions and greenwashing tactics, check out these posts:

Until next time!