Should Plastic Straws Be Banned?

• Author: Hodges, Trent
• Position: Debate

Americans throw away millions of plastic straws every day. A lot of that plastic ends up in the oceans, and it can be very harmful to marine animals. In 2015, a video showing a turtle with a straw stuck way up its nose went viral, prompting renewed calls for cutting back on disposable plastic--especially straws. In response, more restaurants have switched to giving out straws only when they're requested; others have stopped offering them altogether. Cities such as Miami, Florida, and Malibu, California, have already imposed bans on plastic straws' New York City is considering doing the same. An environmentalist and a representative of the plastic industry face off about whether straw bans are a good idea.

YES

The world is facing a crisis of single-use plastic pollution. An estimated 5 to 13 million tons of plastic waste, including straws, enter the ocean each year. This affects our ecosystems, marine life, and even the water we drink. Some studies project that by 2050, there could be more plastic by weight in the ocean than fish if we don't take action now to turn the tide.

Plastic doesn't biodegrade. It breaks up into smaller pieces, which means that essentially every piece of plastic ever created still exists in some form. As of 2015, only 9 percent of all the plastic waste generated over the years had been recycled. Most discarded plastic ends up in landfills or in the environment, where it absorbs toxic chemicals, enters the food chain, and harms or kills marine life.

Plastic straws are one of the top items of plastic pollution found on beaches worldwide. During International Coastal Cleanup Day in 2018, more than 640,000 plastic straws and stirrers were picked up from beaches across the globe. Made primarily from nonrenewable fossil fuels, plastic straws are also difficult to recycle. As a result, countless single-use straws often end up harming marine life, ecosystems, and our coasts.

Plastic straws should be banned because the harm they cause vastly outweighs the benefit to society. There are a number of reusable and Earth-friendly options that are now replacing plastic, including bamboo, stainless steel, and glass. Single-use straws sourced from paper, pasta, and even seaweed are also viable options and can fully biodegrade in the natural environment.

Bans and regulations on consumer items that damage the environment have proven to be an effective way to reduce pollution. For example, beach cleanup data shows that after California...