Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Plastic or paper? The truth about drinking straws
Each year, over 460 million tons of new plastic are produced, which
produces about 380 million tons of plastic waste. Approximately, 43 million
tons of plastic waste comes from consumer products, including single-use
plastics like packages, containers, and straws from the food and beverage
industry. In response to consumers’ awareness, many fast-food restaurants and
coffee chains have switched from plastic straws to bio-degradable ones like
paper. However, they aren’t as durable as plastic ones and become too wet to suck
after a while. Also, paper straws are found to contain more lasting chemicals
than plastic ones, which stay in the environment for decades and contaminate
water and the environment. Also, the amount of gas emissions during the
production of bioplastic straws is found to be higher than that of conventional
plastic ones. Even though plastic straws are indeed harmful to the environment,
no better alternative has been widely produced or used yet.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about the pros and cons of plastic
straws.
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