#Plastic Straws

[mindblowingscience]

"Eco-friendly" paper drinking straws contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals, a new study has concluded. In the first analysis of its kind in Europe, and only the second in the world, Belgian researchers tested 39 brands of straws for the group of synthetic chemicals known as poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS were found in the majority of the straws tested and were most common in those made from paper and bamboo, found the study, published in Food Additives & Contaminants. PFAS are used to make everyday products, from outdoor clothing to non-stick pans, resistant to water, heat and stains. However, they are potentially harmful to people, wildlife and the environment. They break down very slowly over time and can persist over thousands of years in the environment, a property that has led to them being known as "forever chemicals." They have been associated with a number of health problems, including lower response to vaccines, lower birth weight, thyroid disease, increased cholesterol levels, liver damage, kidney cancer and testicular cancer.

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[you-need-not-apply]

bad straws

pros and cons about straws

Plastic straws:

CONS: can never be properly recycled, last for centuries, never fully degrade, single-use, pollution, harmful to wildlife, plastic poisoning / micro plastic have a direct route to body

PROS: single use so slightly more hygienic, good for some disabled people who have issues with motor skills

Paper straws:

CONS: cant be recycled, sometimes contain plastics, emit greenhouse gas when they break down, can be bitten through by those with issues with motor skills, can go soggy fast

PROS: biodegradable, renewable, safe, hygienic and durable

Metal straws:

CONS: can conduct heat and become very hot if used with hot beverages, stiff, hygiene issues,

PROS: highly durable, can be cleaned 100% via boiling (cleaner then plastic!!) non toxic, long lasting, reusable, recyclable if broken

Silicon straws:

CONS: sometimes have a plastic taste similar to single use plastic, food can stick to them, sometimes aren't bendable,

PROS: non toxic, very easy to clean, long lasting, non plastic, reusable, safe, come in all sizes and shapes

wood/bamboo straws:

CONS: can spoil and rot, not as safe, deforestation especially if not bamboo, least hygienic, stiff, greenhouse gas when it breaks down

PROS: reusable, can break down, if bamboo it will be naturally antibacterial, so they're hygienic.

[probablyasocialecologist]

When plastic straws were banned, new alternative straws of paper, bamboo, and glass were advertised as more sustainable, eco-friendly, and healthy. Groffen’s team wanted to know if they hold up to the hype, but they found that the majority of them do not. With the exception of the stainless steel straws they tested, all of the brands they examined—which are commercially available in Belgium—contained chemicals that are harmful not only for the environment, but also for people. Known as PFAS, which stands for poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances, and dubbed forever chemicals, these compounds don’t break down under heat or sunlight and dissolve in neither water nor oil. For a few decades these PFAS were the darlings of the chemical industry, used in everything from fire-resistant cushions to water-repellant clothing and from nonstick pan coating to disposable plates. Unfortunately, what makes PFAS so durable in kitchenware and other products is also what makes it last so long in the environment. More importantly, in recent years, scientists have linked them to a gamut of damaging health effects, including thyroid disease, high cholesterol, pregnancy problems, liver damage, and several cancers. They have also been linked to adverse reproductive, developmental and immunological effects in animals. The team found PFAS to be present in 90 percent of the paper straws, 80 percent of bamboo, 75 percent of plastic, and 40 percent of glass ones.

[thegoodmorningman]

If plastic was bad, why would there be so much in everyone's blood? Good Morning!!!

[gregor-sampson]

Waitress: Do you want a plastic straw with that, or do you want to save the turtles?

Super Mario: Plastic straw

[rlephant]

strohhalm II_II

[o-kurwa]

[us-the-voices-and-more-voices-2]

me when I get my hands on a plastic bendy straw (I haven’t seen one in 5 years)

[thespliffbunker]

[qualifiedaquarian]

[you-need-not-apply]

"but i need straws for my disability!" I know, that sucks, use a reusable one.

"I can't use the metal ones tho!" silicon, rubber, wood,

"I need a soft straw!" silicon

"they're too hard to clean!" get over yourself, animals are dying because you're lazy. there are straw cleaners that are so easy to use

[emphasisondrvgs]

"Paper straws dissolve in water!! Metal straws change the flavor!!! plastic straws are bad for the environment!!!"

Don't use a straw then

[kirasuki]

I fucking hate paper straws it takes all the joy out of trying to drink a capri sun why is the straw paper when the drinks little container is plastic and the straw is glued on in a PLASTIC fucking holder. STRAW IS BROKEN EVEN BEFORE I GET TO DRINK IT AND NOW I GOT CAPRI SUN ON NY LAP AND HAD TO OPEN IT WITH A FUCKING KNIFE

[climate-crisis]

And thus it starts!!

If you engage in any local environmental activities, send photos! Imma post them to spread the word 🌟

[glisteningreverie]

So I know we all hate paper straws and how they are basically unusable after one drink. I know that we want bigger corporations to take more responsibility for the waste they put into the environment rather than shouldering the burden on us.

But I work at a fast-food place and I’ve been thinking. At my work place, we have to use plastic gloves. There’s no way around it. In order to keep your food safe and avoid cross-contamination, we use A LOT of plastic gloves.

Other plastic things we used to have that have been since swapped out for paper are our straws and bags. Those little things add up a LOT over time. I see plastic and waste from our restaurant carelessly thrown out on the side of the street on the regular. And we’re just one store. Compound that by tens of thousands of stores worldwide, and the amount of plastic we use in a single day is probably INSANE.

I still don’t have to like paper straws. But the little things add up. Paper decomposes faster than plastic and is ultimately better for the environment.

And that’s something, isn’t it?