#plastic straw bans

[sailor-cerise]

[IDs:

Images 1-6: series of tweets from "moe", @/EhlersDanlosgrl

I was declined a straw at a restaurant this morning. The waitress had one in her apron. As she poured the water I said "excuse me miss can I have a straw?" She said "we can't just give them out" and walked away.

My dad flagged her down and when she returned to the table, I asked again "miss sorry but I really do need a straw". She then said "we only give them to the elderly"

I explained that I am disabled, that I have degenerative joint disease in my spine and picking up a full glass to drink causes muscle spasms under my shoulder blades. She met that with "you seemed fine when you walked in".

5 minutes later, still no straw. Finally I ask for a manager and the waitress looks pissed as hell but goes to get them. The manager heard me out, handed me a straw, then turned to the waitress and whispered "people like that aren't worth it just give them the damn straw"

I was SO frustrated... I just started crying. My dad got up and followed the manager back to the front where he then LET HER HAVE IT. He had let me handle it up until that point Bc I had asked him to.

And while he was shouting, people were turning to look at me.. he was literally just shouting "her spine is deteriorating she uses crutches most days you MORON" and I was SO EMBARRASSED. I got up and walked out of the restaurant and my mom followed me.

We hadn't even ordered yet so we just left. I'm still really upset. STRAW BAN IS BULLSHIT. It's just an excuse for ableism. A waitress should NOT get to "decide" if I'm validly disabled or not.

So, this is kind of blowing up more than I thought it would, I just wanted to rant. I am glad this thread is starting the conversation and helping to educate others.

I really appreciate everyone offering to contact the restaurant on my behalf, but there are several reasons I am not going to name it: 1. It's a beloved restaurant here, very old and valued in my community 2. The manager IS THE OWNER 3. I have severe anxiety, can't handle that

I have muted my twitter notifications, as this tweet has picked up a lot more traction than I had ever thought possible, and I'm honestly a bit stressed 😅 I appreciate all the kind words and solidarity ❤️ ableds reading this thread, LISTEN TO US IN THE REPLIES 👏 HEAR US.

Everybody, the infographic being used in the thread is by @/rollwthepunches !!! Please go check out their work ❤️ [Begin infographic of a grid listing types of straws for the rows and the issues they might have as columns, with Xs representing when the issue applies. Every straw type except single use has multiple relevant issues.] [Title] "Just use __ Straws!" Metal: Allergy Risk, Injury Risk, Not Positionable, Not Hot Liquid Safe, Hard to Sanitize, High Cost Paper: Allergy Risk, Choking Hazard, Not Positionable, Not Hot Liquid Safe, Dissolves w/Long Use Glass: Injury Risk, Not Positionable, Hard to Sanitize, High Cost Silicone: Allergy Risk, Risk, Not Positionable, Hard to Sanitize, High Cost Acrylic: Allergy Risk, Injury Risk, Not Positionable, Not Hot Liquid Safe, Hard to Sanitize, High Cost Pasta/rice: Allergy Risk, Choking Hazard, Injury Risk, Not Positionable, Not Hot Liquid Safe, Dissolves w/Long Use, High Cost Bamboo: Allergy Risk, Injury Risk, Not Positionable, High Cost Biodegradable: Allergy Risk, Choking Hazard, Not Hot Liquid Safe, Dissolves w/Long Use, Single use: [No issues listed] [Smaller text at bottom of infographic] Many disabled individuals require straws for food, meds and to be social with friends. We can ALL reduce plastic use, but banning items many depend on harms a very vulnerable population Pressure companies to make safe alternatives available to all and reduce waste in larger ways. Hurt turtles are devastating. So are children and adults aspirating liquid into their lungs. [End infographic.]

I had to disclose medical information to a WAITRESS so that she could DECIDE if I was DISABLED ENOUGH. This isn't about straws. If you think it's just about straws, you have zero care for disabled lives.

I like how all you performance environmentalists tell me I need to "make sacrifices" for the environment... yet... you know NOTHING about my waste reduction habits or my green efforts in my life or what sacrifices I ALREADY MAKE. IRONIC- Isn't it?

Image 7: quote tweet of the first tweet above by "wikipedia brown, consistent ha...", @/eveewing

read this thread. disabled people tried to tell us about these asinine straw bans for months and, as predicted, here we are

/End IDs.]

being aware of the impact of things we can often not think about (like straws) is important if we’re to make strides on environmental preservation 

that does not eclipse the importance of being aware of how it impacts disabled people. they’re both conversations we need to have

[utilitycaster]

I’ve long noticed and previously commented on the odd fandom antipathy towards characters like Suvi of Worlds Beyond Number and Jonas Spahr from Midst; and simultaneously a far, far more generous approach to outright villains like Will Gallows, many of the witches, and Moc Weepe.

I’ve also commented on the favor and endless forgiveness shown villains before, and to get it out of the way, yes, a lot of this is due to horny reasons, and as someone who does not identify personally as a monsterfucker this might be part of my lack of interest. But I think it would be unwise to chalk this up entirely to people wanting to fuck the villains, and given that Suvi and Jonas are both extremely attractive as well it’s certainly not the whole picture.

Suvi and Jonas are born into and achieve positions of privilege - military/political no less - in imperial societies. They are both explicitly indoctrinated. They are not, in my opinion, brainwashed; but they are driven into who they become through competition.

I think a lot of people are really uncomfortable with characters shown to be complicit in and favored within this kind of society. I think Spahr and Suvi occupy a space that they find too close to home; too close to what they themselves are. A villain validates one’s beliefs: Weepe is ruthlessly self-interested, driven by profit, and terribly violent, and so it’s easier to be comfortable with him, ironically enough, because the story tells you he’s a bastard and you can feel good about clocking him as a bastard, and even like that this character is on a meta level telling you that you’re right in your beliefs.

Suvi and Jonas and those like them don’t permit you that validation. They participate in these harmful systems while believing it to be the right thing to do. They are also young people who grew up knowing little else, with unfathomably high expectations placed upon them. They are flawed, with no shortage of harsh edges, but they are also frequently kind and generous people who are incredibly important, as they currently are, to characters one might find more sympathetic. They are deeply human. And they are both the beneficiaries and the victims of a vast and complicated system. You cannot fit them into the box of a “stripped of choice” victim even though both have found themselves backed against a wall by their respective societies. You cannot avoid that the dissolution of their society would have devastating consequences, even if it might be right (which Midst directly explores; I suspect the Citadel might not be a thing to be dissolved). And while many people do so, one cannot in good faith and intelligent analysis treat them as nothing more than a shipping doll who needs to be programmed to become a mirror of the “correct” character of one’s choosing without ignoring who they are and what they bring to the table: a political savvy, a great deal of talent and intelligence, and a desire to embody the best parts of their respective flawed societies.

As Midst reaches its denouement, one of the core messages is that a harmful society is still one comprised of people: some upholding it, some actively furthering it, and some just living within it. While Worlds Beyond Number is nowhere near its end, Brennan Lee Mulligan’s body of work upholds a similar message; that one cannot lose sight of the personhood of people, even those involved in messy and damaging systems, and that people must be judged with that in mind. Suvi and Spahr are not cogs to be wrenched free and corrected, but characters to appreciate in their complexity. It is a shame that so many reject them in favor of those who consistently choose to do harm because it is less difficult and challenging to think in terms of Good Guy/Bad Guy.

[t3rraria]

Based off what I did last night

Buck: finally, a caprisun where I can't miserably fail at putting the straw in.

Chimney: it has no straw

Buck:

Maddie: what have you done

Buck, angry: FOR FUCKSAKES

*throws caprisun on the floor, it exploded everywhere*

Maddie, laughing: OMG BUCK WHY

chimney, dying: STOP, NO MORE CAPRISUN

P.S

(yes I did actually do this last night)

[alishavisualdiary]

Module 1 Post 3: Compostable Straw

This is a compostable straw — not the annoying paper straws that get soggy halfway through drinking a beverage, but a straw that feels almost like plastic but is miraculously compostable. Where I live, there is a ban against plastic straws. For a while, coffee shops and boba tea shops in my state were struggling because they couldn't give out straws for their drinks. They started giving paper straws, but customers complained so much due to how fragile the straws were. Sturdy, compostable straws became a desideratum in my state — eventually, these straws were created and changed the straw game. I don't even quite understand the technology that goes into creating this straw (how is it compostable even though it feels so sturdy and plastic-like?). However, I do know that the inventors must have thought boldly and pushed the bounds of their thinking to be able to come up with this straw when for so long, paper straws had been the only solution anyone else could come up with. This is why I believe this simple, human-centered design product is an example of design leadership. In the grand scheme of things, a straw is very small. However, I know that this invention had a huge impact on my state's local businesses and essentially revolutionized disposable straws in my state — now, these are everywhere, and it is widely considered the straw norm. Sometimes the smallest things carry such a great impact!

[technoxenoholic]

lads, they're putting fucking paper straws in with the no name iced tea juice boxes now. what is the FUCKING point when the straw ALREADY comes wrapped in a fucking plastic protective sleeve. i can't fucking use this shit i'm going to have to stab the straw hole with a nail file and slurp directly from the box like some kind of cave-dwelling vampire beast

[noddytheornithopod]

Oh yeah I looked up the single use plastic ban and it's honestly really weird? Like they say you'll be fined for distributing eg plastic straws but also they make it sound super easy to get them behind the counter, like you don't even need proof of disability or anything???

You just go to a cafe or store and hope they sell them, apparently, and if they do after you presumably explain yourself they just give them to you. But then how do you enforce this ban? How do you know who is "supposed" to have these straws or not?

All I'm saying is there's easier ways to deal with plastic pollution. *cough*focus on the large corporations who are the biggest polluters*cough* Also, if you care so much about the environment, quit the logging and fossil fuel industry support, Daniel Andrews.

lol funny i mention logging because isn't paper like the most common alternative to plastic straws

There is no ethical consumption under capitalism, this just feels like a poorly thought out excuse to look like they're doing something even as people protest stuff like the Victorian government cutting down trees with First Nations cultural importance for... some roads.

Anyway fuck the Victorian government and their fake greenwashed attempts at environmentalism. Putting the onus on consumers instead of companies producing plastic is bad enough, but being shitty polluters elsewhere? Yeah, not cool.

[littlesistersti]

... The amount of people in the notes and comments who are unaware 0__0

Gist: plastic straws are temperature and allergy friendly so it adds up to disability friendly, and actually reusable this whole time (unless it's those super duper cheap ones that break apart if you move it in the slightest, why did those replace the paper straws instead of going back to the initial plastic straws?)

& just because the plastic straw is a danger to xyz, doesn't mean it should be completely gone.

also straws were never meant for the wide market, it was supposed to be hospitals

[35gofbeansprouts]

💭.

[cranraspberry]

chick fil a gives me nostalgia vibes even though the first time I went there was yesterday

[laundrybiscuits]

(ETA: now edited and up on AO3)

Look. Eddie knows he can be a little uptight about these things, but. There are rules. If you become a vampire, you don’t need to go full gothic Count Von Dickhead or whatever, but you absolutely cannot just wander around in a puffy vest and light-wash jeans. 

“Why not?” says Steve. He’s leaning back in an armchair, sipping on a bloodbag like it’s a goddamn juicebox. “What, are the vampire police going to arrest me?” 

He pauses. “Wait. There aren’t vampire police, are there?”

“No,” says Eddie. “Probably not. I don’t know. But there are standards which you are refusing to uphold, Steven.”

“Thought you were all about hating conformity, Edward,” Steve says. He’s got an obnoxiously cocky little smirk, the smug undead fucker. 

Eddie grimaces. “Don’t call me that, asswipe. Don’t you feel, like—the call of the night? The siren song of life coursing through fragile human veins? A hunger for destruction that those paltry plastic bags of blood can never truly slake?”

“The bloodbags aren’t so bad,” says Steve, around the straw. “Better than protein shakes.”

“I actually hate you,” Eddie tells him. “Vampirism is wasted on you.”

Steve noisily slurps the last of the blood out of the bottom of the bag. “Come on, you can’t really picture me in some Dracula getup, can you?”

The problem, of course, is that Eddie really, really can. When Robin had read him in on the whole situation, obviously he’d been horrified and concerned—but also, a whole wing of his brain had immediately been cordoned off to work overtime imagining Steve in elaborate Dark Prince regalia, maybe leaning elegantly out of a castle window on the moors, gazing into the foggy dusk. Velvet might’ve been involved.

“...guess not,” says Eddie. It doesn’t sound incredibly convincing to his own ears, but Steve just shrugs and gets up to throw the bloodbag away. 

“There you go, man,” he says, clapping Eddie on the shoulder as he passes. “It’s the 80s. Vampires can be whatever we wanna be.”

———

It gets way too easy to forget about Steve’s condition, until Eddie ends up having to haul him out of a bar in Indy before they get banned for life.  

“Simmer down, buddy,” Eddie says, pulling him into the shadow of the van. “Let’s get those fangs packed away before any of the nice villagers wander by with torches and pitchforks.”

“I’m good,” pants Steve. “It’s all good. Don’t worry about it. It’s fine.”

Eddie lifts an unimpressed eyebrow. “Sure, that’s why your eyes are glowing red and you’re, like, fully vamped out. Which, by the way, looks extremely dumb with the whole clean-cut vibe you decided to rock tonight.”

“Fuck you, I look great,” says Steve, pushing a hand through his hair. He’s not wrong, it’s just not relevant to how he also looks extremely dumb like this, wearing a pristine henley with fangs hanging out in the parking lot for anyone to see.

“So what the hell happened in there, man? I was finally starting to get somewhere with Todd, and…” Eddie trails off in dawning realization.

“Holy shit, am I—I’m like your territory, aren’t I? Your stupid vampire brain got all screwy and decided to loop me in with Robin and the kids as part of your freaky human coven.”

“Uh,” says Steve. He looks unhappy in a shifty kind of way. “Something like that, maybe.”

“Wait, so, are Nancy and Jonathan—are you okay with them because they’re both already in the vamp pack? Is Vickie gonna have to be inaugurated before she and Robin can bone down?” Eddie perks up. “Shit, is there a ceremony? We could totally do a ceremony.” He bets he can get the kids to liberate some velour curtains from the drama club. With a few candles, they could get some serious atmosphere going.

“No, shut up, nobody’s doing a damn ceremony,” Steve groans. “Vickie’s fine.” 

“Okay,” says Eddie. “So…you gonna tell me what all that was about, then? Do I have to start running guys past you first so your vamp instincts don’t wig out? Or…hm, maybe Argyle’d be down to mess around sometime.”

Steve lets out an actual snarl with weird animal echoes, then claps a hand over his mouth.

“Sorry,” he says, muffled. The shadows around them seem darker somehow. 

“So I’m just not allowed to get laid ever again,” says Eddie slowly. “For vampire reasons.”

“Do whatever you want, man.” Steve’s still got his hand pressed tight over his mouth. 

“And it’s…just me?” Eddie peers at the tightness around Steve’s eyes; the way he’s scowling stubbornly at his feet. “Huh. Kind of…possessive, Harrington.”

“It’s—weird,” says Steve miserably, dropping his hand at last. “I know it’s fucking weird.”

“Maybe.” Eddie shrugs, biting down on the grin he can feel tugging at his mouth. “Lucky for you, I’m into that shit.”

“What?” Steve frowns. “You’re…”

“Always wanted a vampire boyfriend,” says Eddie. “Like, are you kidding? I would’ve sold my fucking soul at 15 for something like that.”

“I’m starting to feel a little objectified here,” says Steve, but he’s smiling, and he reaches out to snag Eddie’s belt loop and tug him stumbling closer. “Just in it for the fangs, huh?”

“Well, you’re kind of a shitty vampire, actually.” Eddie drapes his arms over Steve’s shoulders. “So I guess I must just be in it for you.”

Steve hesitates, searching Eddie’s face. Stray red lights are still sparking like embers in Steve’s irises. “Okay, but—you’re in it? Right?”

“Couldn’t get rid of me if you tried, Bunnicula. I’ll send the vampire police after you, just watch me,” says Eddie, and kisses him.

[mstopportunity]

source

Source

i learned that according to National Geographic, In just the U.S. alone, one estimate suggests 500 million straws are used every single day (x)

One study published earlier this year (2019) estimated as many as 8.3 billion plastic straws pollute the world’s beaches.

[dreamlogic]

y'all have to meet one of my most treasured possessions, who i got for $1 at a thift store, but is priceless in my heart. 1999 officially licensed star wars the phantom menace collectors drink cup exclusive to pizza hut, KFC, and taco bell:

important detail: his arms are posable. 360° jar jar action 24/7.

he was first christened Jar Jar Drinks, on account of being able to stick a straw through his skull and. drink. however, he tastes strongly carcinogenic and probably contains several types of plastic that have been banned since his manufacture in 1999.

so, when i was working food service and a good chunk of my income was from cash tips, i started stuffing a fat roll of cash inside him for safe keeping. he became known as Jar Jar Banks.

since i stopped living a life where i have large sums of cash money i need to squirrel away regularly, the name fell out of favor. but i still cherish him, and i knew he's destined to be filled with something someday.

well. i just realized i can hide my weed stash in his torso. so, without further ado, i would like to introduce you to this thrice-christened icon: Jar Jar Danks.

[thebibliosphere]

Hi Joy! I was curious if you'd heard of Jessica Kellgren-Fozard or watched her videos on YouTube? She's a disabled vintage lesbian and articulates really well people's misconceptions about disabilities, including how unhelpful it is to offer "advice" to disabled folks (something I know you have experienced more than a couple of times...) She also talks about her own personal struggles with her comorbidities and it's just really refreshing to watch her videos and feel seen and validated in that way. Her videos don't tend to be overly long too, so I find them good for when my attention span is feeling particularly short!

Anyway, shameless plug for a YouTuber I like who talks about disability in a really refreshing way - maybe your followers would like her videos too?

Hoping you're having a relatively minimal-pain day, since I know the pain is never 0. Give hugs to Holly Mop!

Oh, for sure! I link to Jess’ video about plastic straw bans whenever someone brings it up or tries to gotcha me about how actually, everyone can use plastic straw alternatives (spoiler, they can’t).

I’ve not been watching her videos much lately but she does good work.

[reasonsforhope]

"For generations, the people of Erakor village in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu would pass their time swimming in the local lagoon. Ken Andrew, a local chief, remembers diving in its depths when he was a child, chasing the fish that spawned in its turquoise waters.

That was decades ago. Now 52, Andrew has noticed a more pernicious entity invading the lagoon: plastic.

“The plastic would form a small island inside the lagoon, it was so thick,” Andrew says. “We used fishing nets to pull some of the trash out, but we didn’t know how to get rid of it all. We couldn’t conquer it, there was just too much.”

While residents were struggling to empty Vanuatu’s waters of plastic, the country’s politicians were considering another solution. Could they stop the waste directly at the source?

Small island nations like Vanuatu face a series of unique challenges when it comes to plastic pollution. Many rely on imported goods to sustain their populations, and receive tonnes of plastic packaging every day as a result. Ocean currents pull plastic waste from around the world into Pacific waters, which eventually end up on the shores of its islands.

Few Pacific island governments have adequate recycling or waste management facilities on their narrow strips of land, so rubbish is often burned or left to wash up in rivers or lagoons like the one in Erakor. It is estimated that Pacific countries generate 1kg of waste per person a day, 40% higher than the global average.

In an attempt to drastically limit the amount of waste generated in Vanuatu, in 2018 the government became one of the first in the world to outlaw the sale and distribution of certain single-use plastics – including a world-first ban on plastic straws.

In the six years since, the results have been impressive. Thin, plastic shopping bags are hardly ever seen, with most shoppers carrying reusable bags at their local market or grocery store. At festivals and outdoor events, food is more often served wrapped in banana leaves instead of polystyrene takeaway boxes. Now-banned items used to make up 35% of Vanuatu’s waste, but now make up less than 2%.

Pictured: Pandanus leaves are now used instead of plastic bags at markets, but supply of the crop can be affected by storms and cyclones, vendors say.

The plastic islands that once choked Erakor lagoon are also shrinking.

“Since they started the ban, you can see the lagoon has become cleaner,” says Andrew.

It is a massive victory for a small island nation made up of just over 300,000 people across 83 islands...

In 2020, a second phase of the policy added seven more items to the list of forbidden plastics, which now covers cutlery, single-use plates and artificial flowers.

“It’s quite difficult to enforce because of the very low capacity of the department of environment,” Regenvanu says. “So we try to work with the municipal authorities and customs and other people as well.”

Compromises had to be made, though. Fishers are still allowed to use plastic to wrap and transport their produce. Plastic bottles are also permitted, even though they often litter coastlines and rivers.

Secondary industries have now developed to provide sustainable alternatives to the banned items. On the island of Pentecost, communities have started replacing plastic planter pots with biodegradable ones made from native pandanus leaves. Mama’s Laef, a social enterprise that began selling fabric sanitary napkins before the ban, has since expanded its range to reusable nappies and bags.

“We came up with these ideas to reduce the amount of plastic in Vanuatu,” says the owner Jack Kalsrap. “We’re a small island state, so we know that pollution can really overwhelm us more than in other, bigger countries.” ...

Willy Sylverio, a coordinator of the Erakor Bridge Youth Association, is trying to find ways to recycle the litter his team regularly dredges up from the lagoon.

“The majority of the plastic waste now comes from noodle packaging or rice packaging, or biscuit packets,” Sylverio says. He hopes the plastic ban will one day include all packaging that covers imported goods. “Banning all plastic is a great idea, because it blocks the main road through which our environment is polluted.”

The Vanuatu government plans to expand the plastic ban to include disposable nappies, and says it will also introduce a plastic bottle deposit scheme this year to help recycle the remaining plastic waste in the country."

-via The Guardian, June 20, 2024

[olowan-waphiya]

of fucking course.....they fucking coated paper straws with pfas......its a fucking nightmare

--

Long-lasting 'forever chemicals', which can cause damaging health issues, found in 18/20 brands of paper straws

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, the study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Food Additives and Contaminants, found.

PFAS are used to make everyday products, from outdoor clothing to non-stick pans, resistant to water, heat and stains. They are, however, 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.

"Straws made from plant-based materials, such as paper and bamboo, are often advertised as being more sustainable and eco-friendly than those made from plastic," says researcher Dr Thimo Groffen, an environmental scientist at the University of Antwerp, who is involved in this study.

"However, the presence of PFAS in these straws means that's not necessarily true."

A growing number of countries, including the UK and Belgium, have banned sale of single-use plastic products, including drinking straws, and plant-based versions have become popular alternatives.

A recent study found PFAS in plant-based drinking straws in the US. Dr Groffen and colleagues wanted to find out if the same was true of those on sale in Belgium.

To explore this further, the research team purchased 39 different brands of drinking straw made from five materials -- paper, bamboo, glass, stainless steel and plastic.

The straws, which were mainly obtained from shops, supermarkets and fast-food restaurants, then underwent two rounds of testing for PFAS.

The majority of the brands (27/39, 69%) contained PFAS, with 18 different PFAS detected in total.

The paper straws were most likely to contain PFAS, with the chemicals detected in 18/20 (90%) of the brands tested. PFAS were also detected in 4/5 (80%) brands of bamboo straw, 3/4 (75%) of the plastic straw brands and 2/5 (40%) brands of glass straw. They were not detected in any of the five types of steel straw tested.

The most commonly found PFAS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), has been banned globally since 2020.

Also detected were trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFMS), "ultra-short chain" PFAS which are highly water soluble and so might leach out of straws into drinks.

The PFAS concentrations were low and, bearing in mind that most people tend to only use straws occasionally, pose a limited risk to human health. However, PFAS can remain in the body for many years and concentrations can build up over time.

"Small amounts of PFAS, while not harmful in themselves, can add to the chemical load already present in the body," says Dr Groffen.

It isn't known whether the PFAS were added to the straws by the manufacturers for waterproofing or whether were the result of contamination. Potential sources of contamination include the soil the plant-based materials were grown in and the water used in the manufacturing process.

However, the presence of the chemicals in almost every brand of paper straw means it is likely that it was, in some cases, being used as a water-repellent coating, say the researchers.

The study's other limitations include not looking at whether the PFAS would leach out of the straws into liquids.

Dr Groffen concludes: "The presence of PFAS in paper and bamboo straws shows they are not necessarily biodegradable.

"We did not detect any PFAS in stainless steel straws, so I would advise consumers to use this type of straw -- or just avoid using straws at all."

[crippled-peeper]

you mean “ban plastic straws and inhalers to save the world from pollution” democrats don’t know how to prioritize real issues? people who would rather harm and kill the disabled than confront their donors at the Coca Cola company and Nestle don’t know how to triage what issues are real and aren’t? wow shocking