President Donald Trump has issued an executive order that reverses a previous initiative aimed at reducing plastic pollution by replacing plastic straws with paper alternatives. This order, effective immediately, nullifies a measure signed by former President Joe Biden, who classified plastic pollution as a significant crisis.
Trump’s opposition to paper straws was vocalized recently, as he criticized them for being ineffective and insufficiently durable. He remarked, "These things don't work... If something's hot, they don't last very long, like a matter of minutes, sometimes a matter of seconds." He called the move to paper straws "a ridiculous situation."
The Biden administration had planned a gradual reduction in the use of single-use plastics, part of a broader strategy to combat plastic waste in U.S. government operations and events by 2027. Under Biden's guidelines, federal purchases of items like plastic cutlery and packaging were also set to decline.
During his 2020 election campaign, Trump had capitalized on his criticisms of paper straws by marketing his own branded plastic straws, which garnered nearly $500,000 in sales in just a few weeks. Many cities and states in the U.S. have already implemented restrictions on plastic straws, pushing businesses to limit their availability.
Additionally, environmental concerns surrounding both plastic straws and their paper counterparts have emerged. Reports indicate that some paper straws may contain persistent chemicals known to pose health risks.
With the debate around environmental policy on the rise, Trump is positioning himself against his predecessor’s measures, igniting yet another cultural discussion around the use of plastics in everyday life.
