After a few sips of my strawberry-banana smoothie, all I could taste was the nasty, papery taste of a straw.
It not only curved, but also folded on its own, preventing the drink from flowing upwards. I threw away the straw and picked up a new one, another paper straw, because that was all the restaurant had to offer. The straw didn’t hold its shape either, so I finished my drink without a straw.
Paper quickly absorbs liquids, and just as quickly loses its structure and rigidity. Research conducted by the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) has shown that wet paper straws, having an average weight of 25 grams, bend after 60 seconds. Accordingly, straws made of said material have proven to be unreliable, since they often become unusable.
Paper straws win because coated straws break faster than traditional plastic straws and are more environmentally friendly, but the problem of wet straws still exists. “
To combat this, some brands make coated paper straws (the same material as plastic bags and glue) that prevent the paper from coming into contact with moisture so quickly.
However, these straws take a long time to decompose, especially in the ocean. This goes against the goal of getting rid of plastic straws, which take up to 300 years to decompose compared to straws made only from paper.
However, paper straws are more environmentally friendly and coated straws decompose faster than traditional plastic straws, but there is still a moisture problem in the straws. This is what KRICT was trying to solve and they did it.
The team found a coating of cellulose nanocrystals (PBS/BS-CNC) that completely disintegrated within 120 days and retained its shape, holding 50 grams even after 60 seconds. On the other hand, the extent to which these straws last is unclear, as the specific type of paper straws they were compared to has not been explained and may be of inferior quality to conventional straws on the market, as well as durability throughout the entire length. new straws have not been proven. However, these new straws proved to be durable.
Even when these improved straws reach the mass market, they still won’t be satisfactory. Paper straws that fold over time can’t compare to plastic straws in terms of structure retention, meaning that companies will continue to sell plastic straws and people will continue to buy them.
However, we can still encourage the production of more sustainable plastic straws. This includes thinner straws, both in thickness and width. This will mean using less plastic, meaning that not only will they break down faster, but they will also use less material: a positive for the industries that make them.
In addition, people should try to use reusable straws such as metal straws or bamboo straws to minimize waste. Of course, the need for disposable straws will continue, meaning that straws like KRICT and those that use less plastic are needed as an alternative to paper straws.
In general, paper straws are essentially obsolete. They are not a solution to the huge amount of non-biodegradable waste that straws produce.
Real solutions must be found, because the dangers to the health of the planet are already too great, and this is the last straw.
Sania Mishra is a junior, loves to draw and play tennis and table tennis. She is currently on the FHC cross country team which is her…
Post time: Mar-27-2023