What's the deal with the plastic straw ban?

The recent trend in banning plastic straws could not even really be doing anything to help the environment in the long run. 

Seattle was the first US city to impose a straw ban and New York and some Bay Area cities could soon be next. 

But there isn't any serious research that suggests plastic straws are polluting the world anymore than all the other useless plastic produced every day. Proponents of the plastic straw ban almost admit that it is not the straws themselves that are the problem but that banning them will help people look at the bigger picture when it comes to pollution. 

Dune Ives, executive director of the organization that pushed hardest for Seattle’s ban, told Vox, “Our straw campaign is not really about straws. It’s about pointing out how prevalent single-use plastics are in our lives.”

Eco-friendly paper straws made from plant-based materials also take forever to decompose and will most likely end up in the ocean along with the plastic cups, bags, and Styrofoam. 

Maybe the nation should invest in pasta straws, they barely get soggy and you can munch on them if you feel so inclined. 

Photo: Getty Images


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