Paper straws: The arguments for and against

President Donald Trump will try to put an end to what he calls a "ridiculous push" for paper straws.

"I will be signing an Executive Order next week ending the ridiculous Biden push for Paper Straws, which don't work," Trump posted on social media Friday. "BACK TO PLASTIC!"

Trump’s executive order will undo measures taken by former President Joe Biden, who planned to phase out plastic straws across the federal government. 

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Several states have bans or restrictions in place on single-use plastic straws, including California, Colorado, New York, Maine, Oregon, Vermont, Rhode Island and Washington. It’s unclear whether an executive order would have any effect on those state laws. 

Paper straws sit in a container on the bar at Laurel Tavern on February 07, 2025 in Studio City, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

What are the arguments for paper straws? 

The backstory:

Paper straws were introduced as an alternative to plastic drinking straws, which are not typically recycled or re-used, "causing multiple environmental harms … including harm to marine animals and visual pollution," according to the British government. 

"Even if disposed of correctly, plastic straws may end up in incineration, generating high carbon emissions," the UK report says. 

By the numbers:

In the U.S., market analysts estimate Americans use about 175 million straws a day. There’s no way to tell how many end up in the ocean. 

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Paper straws will fully decompose within a few weeks to a few months, while plastic straws take up to 200 years, according to the World Wildlife Federation. 

What are the arguments against paper straws?

The other side:

But paper straws aren’t holding up well in the environmental debate, either, research has shown. 

A study from the University of Antwerp in Belgium found that paper straws have more PFAS, better known as "forever chemicals," than plastic. The chemicals are linked to serious health problems like cancers, liver and heart damage, compromised immune systems, high cholesterol and developmental issues in kids. 

PFAs also take hundreds to thousands of years to break down in the environment. 

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The same study showed that bamboo straws also contained PFAs, and neither have proven to be a more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic. The PFA levels call into question just how "biodegradable" the plastic straw alternatives are. 

Why do paper straws get a bad rap? 

What they're saying:

While their sustainability is debatable, the strong feelings about paper straws are not. They often become soft and difficult to sip out of, sometimes long before the drink is finished. 

Trump, who doesn’t believe in climate change and has been rolling back environmental protections enacted by Biden, has railed against plastic straws for years. 

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"They want to ban straws. Has anyone tried those paper straws? They're not working too good," he said during a 2020 campaign rally. "It disintegrates as you drink it, and if you have a nice tie like this tie, you've got no choice."

According to KXLG, Trump's campaign once sold branded plastic straws with the slogan: "Liberal paper straws don't work."