Who doesn’t love nature, and specially sea turtles? Those lovely creatures are already having a tough time procreating—we humans tend to crowd their nesting beaches—and seem to be sensible to our pollution. The straw that broke the cammel’s back was a worldwide famous picture of one of these sea turtles with a lodged plastic straw in their nostril.
That’s it; plastic straws became demonized and subsecuentially pushed aside from restaurants. It didn’t matter you lived in Michigan and didn’t have a sea turtle near you in a hundred miles radius, you couldn’t sip from a plastic straw.
However, were their replacement, those paper straws, actually effective? If it weren’t for the environment, few people would actually choose them to sip from: they make the beverage have a cardboardy taste, become soggy in less than 15 minutes—very impractical for those who want to sip on their Starbucks for ages— and were not as healthy for human beings as we previously thought.
Paper straws are out in Florida
The days of virtue signalling with a paper straw while riding a monstruous truck are gone, which is why Florida has pushed legislation to prevent cities and counties from prohibiting the use of plastic straws at restaurants and other stablishments.
Under this new law, local governments couldn’t stop people from using straws or restrict them unless they stick to the state’s rigid guidelines. This plan takes aim at the inconsistent mix of straw restrictions that currently exist in various popular Florida destinations.
Republican Senator Jennifer Bradley officially submitted Senate Bill 958 on December 18 for the upcoming legislative term. The text of the bill claims that while paper alternatives are pushed as a superior choice for health and the planet, studies actually suggest otherwise.
Not as healthy or ecofriendly as previously thought
According to PEOPLE, supporters want one clear set of rules for the whole state so businesses don’t have to keep up with different regulations in every city. The bill references research from outside universities indicating that many paper straws are made with dangerous PFAS chemicals that can cause serious health issues.
That is the trick of greenwashed cutlery: while packaging companies where adapting to the market wants and pushed single-use cardboard packaging, they forgot to mention that all those paper cups, plates and straws are covered inside with a polymer film to make them slightly more waterproof than bare celulose. And once they are exposed to liquids—and overall, hot temperatures—those chemicals start leaking… straight into or food and drinks that we are about to consume.
Is the slight possibility of a plastic straw discarded in a third-world country with lacking rubbish removal system hurting an endangered species far more important than the health of all the human population who has to suddenly be subjected to eating with BPA-leeching utensils? We think not.
The legislation notes that these so-called “forever chemicals” don’t break down easily and stay in both nature and our bodies for a long time. Politicians also pointed out that banning plastic straws makes life harder for disabled residents who really need them to drink safely.
What will happen with straws in Florida then?
The proposal demands that any laws covering straws and stirrers rely on policy backed by actual science. If this bill makes it into law, cities and counties won’t be able to enforce any restrictions on how these items are sold, used, or thrown away unless the products align with state standards.
To make the cut, straws must carry official proof that they are renewable or can break down safely in home compost piles, industrial facilities, or seawater. These seals of approval must be issued by trusted outside organizations like the USDA BioPreferred Program, TUV Austria, or the Biodegradable Products Institute. Town and county officials have a deadline of January 1, 2027, to make sure their current laws match these new requirements. This legislation does not require local leaders to control straw usage at all, but simply lays out the ground rules if they decide to do so.
But remember, there is always a third option for this whole ordeal: sip straight from the cup or glass, and forgo the whole straw thing all together!