Trump signs order shifting US back toward plastic straws
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order reversing a government initiative to replace plastic straws with paper ones.
The order, which takes effect immediately, overturns a policy introduced by former President Joe Biden, who had described plastic pollution as a “crisis.”
Last week, Trump—who sold branded plastic straws during his 2020 election campaign—criticized paper straws, claiming they “don’t work” and “disgustingly” dissolve in consumers’ mouths.
In 2024, Biden had ordered a gradual phase-out of plastic straws, cutlery, and packaging from government purchases. Trump’s directive now halts federal procurement of paper straws and calls for a strategy to eliminate them nationwide.
“We’re going back to plastic straws,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday.
“These things don’t work. I’ve used them many times, and they break, explode, and dissolve quickly, especially with hot drinks—sometimes within seconds. It’s a ridiculous situation,” he said.
The Biden administration had aimed to reduce plastic waste, announcing plans to phase out single-use plastics from food packaging, operations, and events by 2027, with a full federal ban by 2035.
Trump has long opposed paper straws. During his unsuccessful 2020 re-election campaign, he sold “Trump”-branded plastic straws for $15 per pack of 10 as an alternative to what he called “liberal” paper straws. Reports indicate the campaign raised nearly $500,000 from straw sales within weeks.
Estimates suggest that Americans use around 500 million disposable straws per year, though some dispute this figure, arguing the actual number could be closer to half that amount.
Several U.S. cities and states—including Seattle, California, Oregon, and New Jersey—have implemented restrictions on plastic straws, either limiting their use or requiring businesses to provide them only upon request.
UN Environment Program statistics show that 460 million metric tonnes of plastic are produced every year, contributing to waste in the ocean and microplastics which can affect human health.
Some studies have shown that paper straws, however, contain significant amounts of “forever chemicals” such as polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.
PFAS can stay in the environment for decades, contaminate water supplies, and cause a variety of health issues.
