President Trump recently signed an executive order banning the procurement and forceful use of paper straws. While signing, he stated, “It’s a ridiculous situation. We’re going back to plastic straws.” That said, the memory of a sea turtle with a plastic straw stuck in its nostrils doing the rounds on social media back in 2015 is still fresh in most people’s minds. The video was used to campaign against the use of plastic, especially single-use plastic straws, due to the negative impact on natural ecosystems. 

But Trump’s order terms the campaign against the use of plastic straws as irrational. He says that the production of paper straws, sometimes individually covered in plastic, defeats the whole point of environmental conservation.

Additionally, the order states that paper straw production is more expensive compared to plastic straws, which are non-functional, force users to use more than one, and use chemicals that are harmful to human health. Now, heads of government agencies and departments were instructed to eliminate the procurement of paper straws and ensure they are no longer provided within agency buildings. A 45-day timeline was set within which the assistant to the President for Domestic Policy shall issue a national strategy to end the use of paper straws. The strategy will entail the available tools to achieve the implementation of the policy nationwide.

Global efforts against plastic pollution

Whereas the rest of the world does not condone the United States’ move to end paper straws, the policy is a setback to the concerted efforts by environmental groups on the escalating global environmental crisis caused by plastic pollution. According to the New York Times, Americans use and discard 500 million plastic straws daily; demonstrably, this is an alarming contributor to plastic pollution. These plastics find their way into the water bodies where marine life mistakes them for food; a case in point is the above-mentioned viral video of the sea turtle. 

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reports that an equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into the world’s oceans, rivers, and lakes daily. But while signing the order, President Trump stated, “I don’t think that plastic is going to affect the shark very much as they’re eating, as they’re munching their way through the ocean.”

The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), under the guidance of UNEP, adopted a resolution (5/14) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. The intergovernmental negotiating committee began its work during the second half of 2022 and held its fifth session in December 2024. It was noted then that the amount of plastic entering the environment annually by 2040 was expected to nearly double compared to 2022.

UNEP’s Under-Secretary-General, Inger Andersen, during COP29 Ministerial Breakfast in her speech, mentioned that the instrument is expected to cover criteria for plastic products. This includes exiting identified unnecessary single-use and short-lived products, managing the end-of-life of plastic, waste management and extended producer responsibility. Adoption of the instrument is contingent on concerted action and political will, as it will include binding and voluntary approaches. President Biden’s administration had committed to supporting the resolution, which President Trump has now withdrawn.

Pre- and post-adoption of the resolution, several countries worldwide have voluntarily taken various initiatives to ban the use of plastics, especially single-use plastics. For instance, Kenya banned the production, sale and use of single-use plastic bags in 2017. In 2020, it banned the use of single-use plastic bags in protected areas such as wildlife parks and forests. Vanuatu, in 2018, banned the use, sale and production of disposable containers, single-use plastic bags and plastic straws. In 2019, Taiwan banned the use of petroleum-based plastic straws in public places and gradually phased out the use of all types of single-use plastics. Thailand, in the same year, issued a prohibition of single-use plastics from national parks.

In 2021, the European Union (EU) banned the sale of single-use plastic plates, cutlery, straws, balloon sticks, cotton buds, cups, food and beverage containers. The following year, India banned the production, importation and use of single-use plastics such as ice cream sticks, plastic cups and straws. 

Banning the use of plastics has not only been a government initiative; private sectors have also been at the forefront of the fight against plastic pollution. In 2018, Starbucks transitioned from its oil-derived plastic straws for iced beverages to paper straws and recently to green planet straws that use plant oils instead of oil derivatives as the main component. In 2024, the company also launched cold beverage cups made from 20% less plastic. This reduced Starbucks’ emissions and conserved water in the production process.

Kenya had hinted at banning the production, sale and use of plastic bottles. However, the plastics industry proposed self-regulation, which led to the birth of Kenya PET Recycling Company (PETCO). PETCO, which is industry-financed, handles post-consumer plastic recycling. This has led to fewer plastic landfills, reduced carbon emissions and provided employment opportunities.

Lifestyle alterations

The U.S. directive on paper straws will create a huge impact on the gains made in addressing plastic pollution. The projected annual amount of plastic entering the environment by 2040 will certainly increase. Plastics will soon find their way into waterways, causing more blockage in the wake of floods caused by climate change.  Further, environmental groups such as UNEA that depend on resources from the U.S. might have to slow down their efforts against plastic pollution as they look for other sources of funds for their initiatives.  The move by the U.S. may also discourage other countries who have or are considering voluntarily taking initiatives to address plastic pollution.

While the order may have a direct and immediate effect on the Federal Government, individuals and multinational companies may consider taking personal lifestyle alterations on plastic, especially single-use plastics. Companies and restaurants may continue producing and giving their clients alternatives to plastic straws, which are not limited to paper straws. Some of the alternatives include steel or biodegradable products such as bamboo and sugarcane straws. The reality, however, is that organisations seeking to contract with the U.S. government will have to align with the policy on plastic requirements.