President Trump on Friday said he plans to sign an executive order promoting plastic straws after his predecessor sought to phase out single-use plastics from government operations.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “I will be signing an Executive Order next week ending the ridiculous Biden push for Paper Straws, which don’t work. BACK TO PLASTIC!”
The post appears to be referring to Biden’s goal of phasing out single-use plastic in federal food service by 2027 and government operations at large by 2035, which includes plastic straws.
Plastics are produced using oil and gas, and promoting the use of the material could be a win for Trump’s allies in the energy industry as well as the plastics industry.
When the Biden goals were announced, the White House said that plastic was “littering our ocean, poisoning the air of communities near production facilities, and threatening public health.”
Microplastics have become omnipresent in the environment. Human exposure to these tiny plastics have been linked to brain development and reproductive development issues in animal studies.
While it’s not totally clear what material straws, if any, would have replaced plastic in federal use, other types, including paper, may also pose environmental and health concerns. A 2023 study found that compounds known as PFAS, which make materials water resistant but can be toxic, were found in almost all types of straws, including paper and bamboo.
