{"id":101771,"date":"2025-02-11T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-11T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/?p=101771"},"modified":"2025-02-11T05:20:54","modified_gmt":"2025-02-11T10:20:54","slug":"straws-return-trumps-latest-move","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/straws-return-trumps-latest-move\/","title":{"rendered":"Straws Return: Trump\u2019s Latest Move Sparks Environmental Concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Biden administration\u2019s plan to phase out <strong>single-use plastics<\/strong> in federal agencies has been overturned by <strong>Donald Trump<\/strong>, who signed an <strong>executive order<\/strong> allowing the return of <strong>plastic straws<\/strong>. Trump, criticising the move towards paper straws, called the ban a <strong>\u201cridiculous situation\u201d<\/strong>, claiming paper alternatives \u201cexplode\u201d and do not function properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The decision aligns with Trump\u2019s longstanding opposition to restrictions on plastic use, a stance that has been welcomed by the <strong>plastics industry<\/strong> but criticised by environmental advocates. The move also raises questions about its impact on public health and marine pollution, given growing concerns over <strong>microplastics<\/strong> in ecosystems and human bodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trump Administration Ends Phase-Out of Single-Use Plastics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Under the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/bidens-final-move-student-loan-forgiveness\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"100642\">Biden <\/a>administration<\/strong>, federal agencies were set to <strong>eliminate single-use plastics<\/strong> by <strong>2035<\/strong>, with a gradual reduction in plastic use in government-related food services and events by <strong>2027<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This policy was part of broader efforts to <strong>tackle plastic pollution<\/strong>, described in a <strong>now-deleted 83-page report<\/strong> as \u201cone of the most pressing environmental problems in the US and around the globe,\u201d according to government documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trump\u2019s executive order <strong>immediately reverses<\/strong> this transition, directing federal agencies to <strong>resume purchasing plastic straws<\/strong> and other disposable plastic products. Speaking at the <strong>White House<\/strong>, <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trump dismissed concerns over plastic pollution, arguing that using plastic straws \u201cisn\u2019t going to affect the shark very much as they\u2019re munching their way through the ocean.\u201d According to <strong>White House staff secretary Will Scharf<\/strong>, the previous policy had cost the government <strong>significant amounts of money<\/strong> while frustrating consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The decision has been welcomed by <strong>plastic manufacturers<\/strong>, with the <strong>Plastics Industry Association<\/strong> stating, \u201cStraws are just the beginning,\u201d and urging wider support for increased plastic production. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, environmental groups have warned of the <strong>long-term impact<\/strong> of reversing federal efforts to curb plastic waste, given that <strong>less than 10% of global plastic waste is recycled<\/strong> and single-use plastics account for <strong>40% of all plastic production<\/strong>, according to advocacy group <strong>Turtle Island Restoration Network<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Health and environmental concerns surrounding microplastics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/trump-delays-tariff-action\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"101023\">Trump<\/a>\u2019s rollback of the <strong>plastic phase-out<\/strong> comes amid growing scientific concerns over <strong>microplastic pollution<\/strong> and its potential health risks. <strong>Microplastics<\/strong>\u2014tiny plastic particles resulting from the breakdown of larger plastic waste\u2014have been found in <strong>air, water, and human bodies<\/strong>, including the <strong>brain, bloodstream, and reproductive organs<\/strong>, according to multiple studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Research from the <strong>University of New Mexico<\/strong> recently identified <strong>higher concentrations of microplastics in human brains<\/strong> than in other organs, with plastic accumulation increasing <strong>by 50% over the past eight years<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Experts warn that these particles could contribute to <strong>neurodegenerative diseases<\/strong>, disrupt blood flow in capillaries, and interfere with brain cell connections, though further studies are needed to establish direct health effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While paper straws have been promoted as an alternative, a <strong>2023 University of Antwerp study<\/strong> found that many contain <strong>per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/pfas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PFAS<\/a>)<\/strong>, commonly known as <strong>\u201cforever chemicals\u201d<\/strong>, due to their non-biodegradable nature. These chemicals, also found in plastics, have been linked to <strong>immune suppression<\/strong>, <strong>hormonal imbalances<\/strong>, and <strong>reduced vaccine response<\/strong>, according to environmental toxicologists.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Plastic straws are making a comeback in federal agencies after Trump overturned Biden\u2019s phase-out plan. Supporters hail the move as a victory for convenience and industry, while critics warn of rising plastic pollution.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":101774,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-101771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101771"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101771\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":101789,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101771\/revisions\/101789"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/101774"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}