Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday April 24, 2018
‘We need to rethink the entire plastics industry’: Why banning plastic straws isn’t enough
Britain announced this week that it plans to ban the sale of single-use plastic straws, as support for similar bans grows in Canada and around the world.
March 6, 2015
Advocates say such straw bans should help reduce plastic pollution that harms wildlife and ecosystems, but we need to monitor the effects of such policies. And they say bans may not be feasible for most of the plastics in our lives, so broader changes to the way we produce, consume and dispose of plastics are needed to make a real difference.
Jennifer Provencher, a postdoctoral researcher at Acadia University who studies the ingestion of plastic pollution by wildlife, said Britain’s ban is “an incredibly important step towards minimizing and using plastics more responsibly.”
She noted that single-use plastic items like straws and stir sticks are generally used only for a few minutes before they’re discarded, but can persist in the environment for centuries because plastics don’t typically decompose within a human lifetime.
Scientists estimate we’ve made 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic since the 1950s and 6.3 billion tonnes have already become waste.
More than 330,000 pieces of plastic and foam waste were picked off 2,800 kilometres of Canada’s shoreline by volunteers during beach cleanup events last year, including 17,654 straws — the ninth most common item found during cleanups supported by Ocean Wise and WWF-Canada. Worldwide, 409,087 straws and stirrers were picked up in beach cleanups around the world in 2017, the Ocean Conservancy reports.
Because of their small size, disposable straws are rarely recycled and often end up in the environment.
There, they can cause serious injuries to animals, as shown in a 2015 video that shows a straw being pulled out of a sea turtle’s nostril — the graphic, viral video has been viewed more than 21 million times. (Source: CBC)
A look back from February 9, 2025
Trump’s Environmental Rollback and the Plastic Straw Debate
Donald Trump is wielding a metaphorical chainsaw against critical oversight mechanisms meant to protect both citizens and the environment. His aggressive dismantling of federal agencies, mass firings within the U.S. civil service, and targeting of programs that support the world’s most vulnerable populations reveal a cavalier approach to governance. These actions not only undermine the fabric of national institutions but also jeopardize efforts to safeguard the planet for future generations.
News: Trump Vows to Keep the Government on Plastic Straws
As a prominent climate crisis denier, Trump has exhibited a blatant disregard for scientific evidence that highlights the urgent need to address our warming planet. His anti-intellectual stance, which dismisses science as fiction, has effectively stifled innovation for a greener future. By gaslighting millions into adopting his science-denying mindset, Trump has set back environmental progress in favour of short-term political gains.
His recent announcement to sign an executive order reversing the push for paper straws in exchange for old plastic ones exemplifies his regressive environmental policies. By criticizing paper straws as ineffective, Trump trivializes serious efforts to reduce single-use plastics, potentially dragging us back to an era of unchecked pollution and environmental degradation.
The broader implications of Trump’s policies are starkly highlighted in the 2018 cartoon “This is Your Life in Single Use Plastics,” which depicts plastic waste sharing stories of their long-lasting impact on the environment. This cartoon serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring legacy of plastic pollution and the importance of sustainable practices.
News: Scientists brace ‘for the worst’ as Trump purges climate mentions from websites
Trump’s decision to favour plastics over sustainable alternatives not only undermines global efforts to address plastic pollution but also aligns with the interests of the fossil fuel industry, which heavily supported his campaign. This prioritization of industry interests over environmental responsibility raises serious questions about his commitment to safeguarding the planet for future generations.
As the world grapples with the challenges of plastic waste and climate change, Trump’s environmental rollback highlights a stark choice between economic interests and ecological responsibility. By reversing key environmental policies, he risks leaving a legacy of environmental neglect and missed opportunities for meaningful change.