President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week to end the federal procurement of paper straws.
The order, which claims that paper straws are “nonfunctional” and says it wants to end the “forced use” of them, immediately undoes part of a Biden-era initiative to eliminate single-use plastics, including straws, in all government operations by 2035. More broadly, Trump instructed White House staff and “relevant agencies” to issue a “national strategy to end the use of paper straws” within 45 days. The strategy would aim to eliminate all executive branch policies “designed to disfavor plastic straws” and address the federal government’s contracts with states and and other entities “that ban or penalize plastic straw purchase or use.”
It’s a smaller battle, part of the larger war on plastic.
I see trash these days, and I can ignore much more of it because its biodegradable.
I’m picking up shit less. I see this as a win.
And the disabled people who have lost access don’t.
For the sake of an item that constituted 0.003% of ocean plastics, and giving you a “win” you’re further supporting the exclusion and marginalisation of disabled people.
Banning plastic straws did less than nothing to improve the environment (less than, because it made people like you think they’ve done their part, and focus less on the actual problem), and worse, it sprung up an entire multi billion dollar industry that makes and sells reusable straws that end up in landfill just as often, and will be staying there for significantly longer.
You getting a dopamine hit doesn’t make something good or right.