Don’t Ban Plastic Straws

The issue of how we, as a society, deal with the prevalence of single-use plastics is one that is growing in importance and has been at the center of a lot of media attention in the last few months. Convenience stores make frequent use of these types of plastics because they are, as the name implies, convenient. Now the Senate Environment Committee is moving a bill, S-2776, to ban a variety of these products.

Of the different products, by far the most disruptive to my membership would be the plastic straw ban. I have even heard some advocates declare that a straw ban would be simpler than banning items like plastic bags and Styrofoam containers, but I disagree completely. There are alternatives available to fill the niches satisfied by those products (although they are more costly and less effective). But, at least for now, there is not a true alternative to the plastic straw.

There are straws made of paper, but these are completely lacking in durability for more than a few minutes. Restricting the usage of straws at restaurants makes sense, since the customer is going to be sitting peacefully at a table for the complete duration of their meal. But a customer at a convenience store who needs a straw is immediately getting in their car. The straw may sit in a large cup for an hour or more as the consumer drinks it, leaves it behind for a while, carries it around, etc. Paper straws are also about seven times more expensive than plastic ones, a cost which will of course slightly impact the consumer. There are also some single use plastic straws which at least claim to be biodegradable, but these would be banned under the current language of the bill as well. There are reusable straws made of metal or bamboo, but by definition a consumer needs to bring the straw with them in advance, and have previously cleaned it.

Just this week I discussed this bill with a small business owner. He told me that he has been interested in offering paper straws as an option for his customers for several months, but simply cannot find them. Most distributors he has talked with do not offer them, and those that do are already being hit with such a huge surge in demand that they simply cannot provide them. I imagine this problem will only get worse if a state with 9 million residents decides to enact the nation’s first statewide ban.

If the point of cutting back on plastic straw usage is to get people to be more aware of the pollution they generate in everyday life, then a government-enforced ban is actually the worst direction to take, because it completely takes the onus off the consumer and makes it so they never think about the issue again (unless it’s to curse environmentalism after their paper straw disintegrates).

Instead, we should consider what California has just enacted, which is to ban straws from full-service restaurants unless the consumer requests one. This would be the most effective compromise; it would significantly reduce straw usage without impinging on the choices of the general public, who sometimes have a genuine need that can only be filled by a plastic straw.

Sal Risalvato is Executive Director of The New Jersey Gasoline, C-Store, Automotive Association (NJGCA) representing small businesses in the motor fuel, convenience store, and auto repair industries for over 80 years.
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