What’s going on here?
On February 10th 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order promoting the use of plastic drinking straws, reversing previous efforts to phase out single-use plastics in federal operations. He criticised paper straws as ineffective and emphasised a return to plastic, suggesting this would have a limited impact on marine life.
What does this mean?
This executive order overturns Trump’s predecessor President Joe Biden’s initiatives aimed at reducing plastic consumption. They included plans to eliminate single-use plastics in federal operations by 2035. Trump’s decision reflects a broader rollback of environmental policies since his inauguration, such as withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement and rescinding policies to eliminate single-use plastics on federal lands by 2032.
Despite global efforts to reduce plastic waste, negotiations on a treaty to control plastic pollution have stalled, partly due to the reluctance of major plastic-producing countries to commit to limiting their output. With the new administration’s pro-oil and gas stance, the US may oppose global plastic reduction goals, aligning with nations like Russia and Saudi Arabia.
Why should we care?
The reintroduction of plastic straws has significant environmental implications. Single-use plastics contribute to pollution, harming marine life and ecosystems. Plastic straws, in particular, take over 200 years to decompose and often break down into microplastics, which pose health risks. Recycling complications and environmental impact have led to bans on plastic straws by various cities and countries.
This decision comes at a bad time. Most countries – except for the UK – missed the deadline to renew their Nationally Determined Contributions this week, which was an opportunity to update their commitments to reduce emissions under the Paris Agreement. Global climate policy appears to be coming under increasing threat.
By reversing plastic reduction policies, the US signals a retreat from international environmental leadership, potentially influencing other nations to weaken their commitments as well. Environmental advocates urge individuals and governments to reduce plastic straw usage despite Trump’s executive order, emphasising the broader issue of single-use plastic waste and its fossil fuel ties.
Be Curious!
- Check out the latest NDC updates on the UNFCCC website.
- Have a look at some alternatives to plastic straws – from metal to biodegradable options, explore sustainable alternatives and their effectiveness at Ocean Conservancy.
- To read more on the UK ‘standing alone’ in their commitment to 1.5 degrees, check out this article in Bloomberg.
- From the Curious archives: read about the plastic straw fallacy
Featured image by Brian Yurasits, via Unsplash
