Ruminations: Flawed Solutions to Single-Use Plastics

"[Even in situations where straws produced from plant material are not part of growing litter, their most likely destination would routinely be a landfill. There, the paper straws' life cycle will be spent] releasing PFAS [per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances] further into the environment."
Belgian study

"Straws made from plant-based materials ... are often advertised as being more sustainable and eco-friendly than those made from plastic."
"However, the presence of PFAS in these straws means that's not necessarily true."
Thimo Groffen, environmental scientist, Belgium

Canada is in the midst of an all-out drive to prohibit the distribution of single-use plastics, meaning paper straws now usually replace the plastic variety. Photo by Getty Images

There are some countries, Canada among them, that intend to, or have produced legislation for the mandatory adoption of paper straws in a well-publicized and self-congratulatory announcement that single-use plastic will no longer be tolerated for use in their jurisdictions given their wasteful carbon footprint and propensity to end up bobbing in a sea amongst floating islands of plastic detritus, posing a threat to aquatic wildlife and adding to the garbage heaps humanity is responsible for on land and ocean.

A just-published study in the journal Food Additives and Contaminants was the result of studying over 20 different brands of plant-based straws, only to discover in their makeup high levels of toxic chemicals. "These 'eco-friendly' plant-based straws are not necessarily a more sustainable alternative to plastic straws", a research team based at University of Antwerp in Belgium concluded.

The straws that were selected for examination by the researchers were not only made of paper, but other materials as well, including plastic, glass and steel. They were found, on close examination to be largely laden with per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances commonly recognized as 'forever chemicals'. Not only would this mean the straws are not biodegradable, but they would as well act as vectors for chemicals considered hazardous to human and environmental health.

In December of 2022, Canada in its drive to prohibit distribution of single-use plastics singled out plastic straws as one of the most visible ban targets and Environment Canada regulations made it illegal to manufacture or import plastic straws, cutlery and single-use shopping checkout bags. By year's end, the sale of such products will become prohibited. A costly venture overall; with the average Canadian scheduled to pay roughly $50 in the higher cost of acquiring plastic alternatives.

The University of Antwerp research team performed chemical analyses on 39 types of straws commonly sourced from supermarkets in Belgium as well as from fast food outlets: 20 paper, five glass, five bamboo, five stainless steel, and four plastic. The stainless-steel straws alone were found completely PFAS-free, the only type that could be recycled. Even glass straws contained measurable amounts of forever chemicals.

The chemicals' widespread use is attributed to the fact their addition in the manufacturing process produces water-repellent products. It transpires that in its zeal and zest to outlaw the most obvious single-use plastic products, Canada neglected to inspect the environmental effects or potential unintended consequences of replacing single-use plastics with acceptable alternative products.