President Donald Trump is back at it again, this time taking aim at paper straws. Yes, you read that right. In a new move, Trump has announced that he’s bringing plastic straws back, claiming that paper ones “don’t work.” But this isn’t just another quirky Trump moment — there’s a much bigger environmental issue at play here.
During his first term, Trump frequently criticized the shift away from plastic, and it seems that old habits die hard. His latest decision challenges a policy set by the Biden administration, which plans to phase out federal use of single-use plastics like straws by 2035. The policy aims to reduce plastic pollution that harms our oceans and marine life. But Trump? Well, he’s apparently all for the comeback of plastic.
Before the Biden administration’s push, Americans used an estimated 500 million plastic straws daily. That’s a massive number, and when you factor in the global production of around 380 million tonnes of plastic each year, the environmental cost starts to add up. Only a fraction of that plastic is properly recycled, leaving the rest to wreak havoc on our planet. And that includes straws, which are notorious for ending up in the ocean, harming wildlife.
Trump, however, isn’t fazed by these statistics. In fact, he has even mocked the environmental concerns, suggesting that plastic straws don’t harm sharks because, “they’re munching their way through the ocean anyway.” While his comments are sure to raise eyebrows, they also highlight just how much he’s been willing to fight against the environmental movement.
During his 2020 re-election campaign, Trump even took it a step further by selling plastic straws branded with his name. The campaign sold them for $15 a pack, and they quickly became a symbol of his stance against what he called “liberal” paper straws. The campaign raised nearly half a million dollars in a matter of weeks, making it clear that plastic straws were more than just a political statement—they were also big business.
In cities and states across the US, plastic straws have already been banned in an effort to reduce pollution. Many restaurants have stopped automatically providing plastic straws to customers, pushing for reusable alternatives. But it looks like Trump’s comeback of the plastic straw might be just the start of a much larger debate about the balance between convenience and environmental responsibility.
So the next time you’re sipping on your drink at a fast-food joint or enjoying a cold soda at the theater, take a moment to remember: you might just have the Trump administration to thank (or blame) for that plastic straw.
