PLA Straws: A False Eco-Friendly Solution?

Straws, the most underrated but one of the most useful inventions of mankind gather much attention that it deserves now.

Due you know the fact that Sumerians of the Mesopotamic era in 3000 BC used straws to drink beer fermented by them in large vats, as it was difficult for them to lift and pass around the vats. So, they used long straws so that they can sit on the floor and drink the beer together.

Marvin Stone designed and patented the first paper straw which was 8½inches long in the year 1888. That way initially straws were made of paper only.

In 1937, Joseph Friedman created and patented bendable straws after seeing her daughter finding it hard to drink her beverage using straight straws. Thus, Bendable straws came into usage.

Industrial activity picking up in the 1960s led to massive development in the Automobile industry which subsequently led to mushrooming of restaurants and fast-food chains and with that the necessity to replace washable glassware with cheaper disposable packaging for meals and drinks on the go.

This led to the replacement of Paper straws with oil-based single-use Plastic Straws.

But Plastic straws are made out of Polypropylene, a by-product of petrol that had enormous damage to the environment and human health.

The use of Plastic straws with acidic beverages resulted in an increase in estrogen levels in humans.

Regular use of Plastic straws resulted in

• Bloating
• Cavities
• Wrinkles – regular usage resulted in pucker lines near the mouth.

Plastic straws severely damaged marine life as tens and thousands of plastic waste were dumped in the seas and oceans. These non-biodegradable straws break into microplastics which were consumed by fish and shellfish which ended up in the dinner plates and are consumed by humans. This resulted in severe health issues.

When the Industry was seriously looking for an alternative, landed on the finding of Pla Straws.

The beverage industry was going gaga over the invention and thought they found an answer for the ill effects of Plastic straws.

PLA Straws:

The PLA degradable straw is made of a new type of bio-based and renewable biodegradable material. This material is called PLA, also known as polylactic acid. It is degradable from starch raw materials proposed by renewable plant resources (such as corn, cassava, etc.).

Is the PLA Straw an answer to Plastic Straws and Paper Straw?

While there has been a lot of noise around the benefits of PLA straw, the sad truth is that it is not really the answer to what the industry has been looking for.

Some of the myths that have been busted about PLA straws:

1. The Shelf life of PLA straws as per the study is only 1 year, whereas Paper straws have a much higher shelf life, usually around 2 to 3 years.
2. PLA straws were much-touted to be biodegradable, compared to Plastic straws. But the fact is that it is much more non-biodegradable than Plastic straws.
3. As per Analysts of the Smithsonian it takes 100 to 1000 years to decompose of these straws made out of PLA.
4. The Recycling Industry finds it a nuisance as it requires a special process not only to decompose but also to segregate them Mindless dumping of the PLA straws causes the same amount of damage to the environment as well as to Marine Life as Plastic straws.
5. It requires 10 days of non-stop heating at @60 degrees Celsius to decompose the PLA straws.
6. The very fact that PLA is Polylactic acid, an acid that dissolves little by little leads to a raise in acidity in the environment.
7. The Very Process of making PLA straws results in more carbon emissions and landfills after usage and causes damage to the earth like its counterpart Plastic straws.

Conclusion:

It’s frustrating that, with all the evidence of PLA straws being incredibly harmful to the ecosystem, many businesses and restaurants search for an option for eco-friendly, compostable straws.

The answer lies in switching back to paper straws, as originally the inventor and patent holder Marvin stone had done.  Paper straws are by far the most environmentally-friendly option. As per studies Paper straws break down quickly (they start to break down within three days if they end up in our oceans), and are compostable.

While paper straws may cost a little more, the feel-good emotion you and your customers get from a refreshing drink will only get better when you know your straw won’t have a negative impact on the environment.