Florida looking to ban paper straws over 'concerning health risks'
A new bill has been proposed by Florida officials to take paper straws off the market by 2027, with experts citing major health concerns. Here’s everything you need to know.
Fuelled by the world’s plastic pollution hangover and a viral video of a scuba diver drawing a plastic straw out of a turtle’s nose, states such as Seattle and Washington DC began banning the bendy siphoning tube in 2018.
Starbucks, Bon Appétit Management, and Disney Parks soon phased out plastic straws. Alaska Airlines pushed out stirrers, and later the Biden Administration announced a gradual end to US government purchases, as well as banning buying plastic cutlery and packaging.
His successor, Donald Trump, isn’t as big of a fan of the paper straw, ordering in February for government agencies to stop buying them.
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“We're going back to plastic straws," he previously claimed. “These things don't work, I've had them many times, and on occasion, they break, they explode.
“If something's hot, they don't last very long, like a matter of minutes, sometimes a matter of seconds. It's a ridiculous situation.”
Now, Florida lawmakers are rolling back the paper straw mandates which are already in place across several cities, as per People.
In a newly filed bill, officials want to restrict local governments from ‘enacting any rule, regulation, or ordinance’ for banning or limiting the use of drinking straws unless they meet strict state-defined standards, the outlet reported.
The proposed legislation was filed by Republican Sen. Jennifer Bradley. It questions research around plastic straws being a ‘purportedly better option for public health and the environment’.
"However, independent university studies have shown that most paper straws contain harmful PFAS chemicals, exposure to which is linked to concerning health risks,” the bill reasoned.
In a 2023 study published in the journal Food Additives and Contaminants, University of Antwerp, Belgian scientists suggested that 90 percent of paper straw brands tested contained PFAS chemicals.
Researchers also discovered PFAS chemicals in a whopping 27 of 39 different straw variants. None of these were stainless steel.
They concluded that the chemicals were most likely used as a water-repellent coating, as per Fox News.
If local officials choose to regulate straws, the rules would require them to be ‘renewable’, ‘home- and industrial-compostable certified’ and ‘marine biodegradable’, as verified by recognised third-party organisations such as TUV Austria.
Omar Blanco, member of the Florida House of Representatives, said: "If you're really concerned about the environment and really concerned about making better decisions, I want to empower local governments to do that.
"There's a responsibility on both ends, and we have to work collectively.”
If the bill passes before the 1 January 2027 expiry date, cities such as Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach will have to change their local ordinances to comply with state law, as per Tallahassee Democrat.
Currently, these cities, as well as Orlando, have local ordinances in place which have led to widespread adoption of paper straws at restaurants, bars and city-owned venues.
According to People, the Florida legislative session is scheduled to begin 13 January. This is when the proposed paper straw bill will be considered alongside other environmental and public health proposals.
Ella Scott