To reduce the environmental burden of disposable products, a growing number of "eco-friendly straws" are appearing on the market. But do these new straws truly solve the problem? Comparison criteria vary, making the final conclusion difficult.
This time, we let the data speak for itself, comparing the environmental impacts of disposable and reusable straws from manufacturing to disposal. Which is more environmentally friendly?
Which eco-friendly straw is more durable? Comparison of common eco-friendly straw materials
First, we compared the number of uses of different eco-friendly straws and disposable straws under normal usage habits. Steel straws, due to their sturdiness, can reasonably be used up to 500 times. Glass straws, while also made of a hard material, are more susceptible to breakage, so they can be used 100 times. Bamboo straws, being more natural, are more susceptible to moisture damage and therefore can be used 50 times.
Glass and bamboo straws have the highest carbon emissions! Eco-friendly straws actually have a higher carbon footprint than disposable straws!
Whether purchasing an eco-friendly straw or a disposable straw, not only the straw itself but also its packaging and accessories need to be included. This is because we calculate the environmental impact of various eco-friendly straws and disposable straws, including the packaging and accessories that come with them, from manufacturing to disposal.
It's also worth noting that glass and bamboo straws, often called "eco-friendly straws," actually have the highest carbon emissions! Each cleaning contributes 63% of the carbon emissions of steel straws, and 41% of the carbon emissions of glass and bamboo straws, respectively. Furthermore, the nylon cleaning brush head that comes with each straw contributes 45% of the carbon emissions of bamboo straws, 38% of the carbon emissions of glass straws, and 16% of the carbon emissions of steel straws, respectively, due to the electricity and diesel consumed in the upstream production chain, as well as the high electricity required to manufacture the storage bag.
Are paper straws really more environmentally friendly than plastic straws?
Let's return to the earliest alternative to plastic straws—paper straws. I'm sure many of us have used one halfway through only to find it ruined by soaking in water, forcing us to try again. When we manufacture paper straws out of dislike for plastic straws, we overlook the fact that paper softens and deforms easily when exposed to water, making it irreusable. We also forget the expense of producing paper. The manufacturing process for paper straws involves felling trees, making paper, including bleaching and forming. The material used to roll a paper straw is actually four times more than that of a plastic straw!
Eco-friendly straws need to be reused more than 1,000 times to have a lower carbon footprint than paper straws.
Because plastic straws are so thin and lightweight, each wash costs more than the cost of manufacturing them compared to other eco-friendly straws. Even when we adjust the reuse limit of eco-friendly straws to 50, 100, or 1,000 times, reducing the environmental impact of a single use with a higher number of uses, these eco-friendly straws still only outperform paper straws after more than a thousand uses.
The only way to further reduce environmental impact is to use water-saving quick-wash straws or reduce the number of eco-friendly straw accessories you buy. However, the reality is that few eco-friendly straws can be reused 1,000 times. During use, they often experience personal issues such as loss, damage, and soiling, which can cause them to disappear.
Could plastic straws, with their lowest carbon emissions, be our best choice?
Are plastic straws the ultimate savior? Actually, not really. Plastic straws are small, requiring extra manpower for sorting and packing, which is far less profitable than the final cost. Consequently, few companies are willing to recycle them. In fact, only six counties and cities in Taiwan list plastic straws as recyclable.
Although plastic straws have the least impact on the environment during the manufacturing process, they still have an impact on the environment if they are difficult to recycle and cannot be reused. It is an indisputable fact that plastic straws that are not thrown into the trash or properly disposed of flow into rivers, oceans or the nostrils of turtles again and again.
Conclusion: There are no truly eco-friendly straws!
To assess whether an item is environmentally friendly, we must look at its impact on the environment throughout its life cycle of manufacturing, use, and disposal.
Taking environmentally friendly straws and disposable straws as an example, alternative materials may be more environmentally friendly in terms of recycling, but they will cause greater environmental impact in other aspects. For example, glass straws are easy to break and bamboo straws are easy to mold, making them unusable and requiring new ones to be purchased. Although paper straws are degradable, they need to be replaced more frequently during use, increasing waste generation.
Therefore, when choosing eco-friendly products, you need to consider various factors to ensure the longest possible lifespan and truly achieve sustainability. Regardless of the straw you buy, choose one with the fewest parts, and minimize the use of detergent and water when cleaning. The simplest and most environmentally friendly approach is to drink directly from the straw!
※This article was co-authored with Professor Lin Xintian of the School of Environmental Engineering at National Cheng Kung University.
※This article is reprinted from RE-THINK's "Are Eco-Friendly Straws Really Eco-Friendly? A Complete Analysis of Straw Materials, From Manufacturing to Disposal," originally published on November 29, 2023.
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Source: Environmental Information Centre
