Paper straws may boast a "greener" image, but a new South Korean study says they're worse on paper than old-school plastic. A government-commissioned life-cycle analysis found that paper straws scored more than six times higher than plastic straws on a measure of cancer-related environmental impact, and roughly double on acidification, per the Korea Herald. Bio-based polyethylene straws fared worst of all, with more than 16 times the carcinogenic impact of plastic.
Across 16 categories, conventional plastic straws had the lowest impact in 10, including the climate change and human toxicity categories. Bio-PE topped 10 categories for harm, while paper and biodegradable plastics led in other categories. Researchers also noted that all straw types are tough to recycle and urged cafes, restaurants, and other venues to stop handing out disposable straws by default and provide them only on request.
The lawmaker who unveiled the new research says instead of an outright ban on plastic straws themselves, he advocates for a governmental "shift toward substantive reduction policies that cut the use of disposable products" altogether, per Packaging Insights, which notes that the cited figures "measure potential emission-based risks across the entire manufacturing and disposal chain rather than direct health risks to consumers during everyday use." The South China Morning Post, meanwhile, details various parts of the world that have banned single-use plastic straws.
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