Climate Desk: Plastic straws are set to make a comeback in the United States. President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order to bring plastic straws back to the market.
Addressing the press, President Trump expressed his annoyance towards plastic straws and said that they do not work and often break and explode.
He also said that plastic straws do not last for very long, may be only for a matter of minutes or seconds when used in something hot, resulting in a ridiculous situation.
With this latest executive order, plastic straws would be back in the domestic market, and brands selling beverages and juices would immediately be able to replace paper made straws with plastics.
Due to its non-biodegradable properties and its improper disposable habits of its users, plastic straws have been banned in a number of countries. It is capable of causing both land, air, and marine pollution, causing a severe threat to the marine ecosystem. Besides, it size and weight makes it easily carried away by wind even if deposed at a proper place. Likewise, it is also difficult to recycle and reuse plastic straws.
They are one of the key contributors of plastic pollution today. According to report by Earth.Org, around 500 million plastic straws are consumed daily in the USA. Alternatively, more than 33 billion plastic enter the Earth’s ocean every year. This is one of the major causes of death of marine wildlife like seabirds, fish, turtles, dolphins, and more, says beyondplsctic.org.
Previously, the Biden administration had ordered a gradual end to plastic straws and encouraged the use of paper straws, along with plastic cutlery and packaging. However, the overturn by the new Trump administration could be regarded as backward and anti-environmental step.
Sources: BBC, beyondplsctic.org, Earth.Org
Also read: Oceans may have more plastic than fish by 2050, collective action need to address this crisis
Also read: Oceans may have more plastic than fish by 2050, collective action need to address this crisis
Also read: Will AI replace journalists? Italian newspaper publishes world’s first AI edition
Also read: GPT4.5, the first AI model that feels like taking to a thoughtful person