Paper straws worse for the environment than plastic ones

A South Korean government study compared paper, conventional plastic, biodegradable-plastic and sugarcane-based straws across 16 environmental measures, tracing their impacts through production and disposal. Conventional plastic straws had the lowest footprint in 10 categories, including climate-change impact, human toxicity and particulate pollution. Paper straws were associated with more than six times the carcinogenic impact of standard plastic and twice its impact on environmental acidification. Bio-PE straws made from renewable sources performed worse on some measures still, with 16 times the carcinogenic impact and six times the acidification impact of conventional plastic.

The study also challenges the idea that paper straws are preferable because they can be recycled. Their small size means they often pass through recycling sorters, while water-resistant coatings and adhesives make them harder to process and break down, potentially requiring more energy and allowing microplastics into recycled pulp. South Korean lawmaker Kim Wi-sang criticized government policy for favoring substitute materials over evidence, and a survey found that 87.5% of 1,001 South Koreans disliked paper straws. The suggested alternative is to use durable, reusable stainless-steel or silicone straws, or drink without a straw.