Which would you choose?

This Earth Day we return to using the plastic straw.

Why? Read on fellow being of the Earth. The BEST choice is to go straw-less. Just pass on the straw altogether, we do it all the time at home.

The plastic straw has become an icon of single use plastic pollution and has become the target of many campaigns to reduce plastic consumption. We were completely on board to swap to paper and gladly paid a premium for the, what appeared to be, eco friendly alternative years ahead of the short lived ban on single use plastics here in Canada.

For years we’ve been adding the paper straws to our compost buckets and they break down without a trace…or so I thought.

I have since learned that paper products like straws, bowls and cups that come into contact with liquids need more than just paper pulp to hold up to those demands. The secret ingredient? 🥁 Polyfluoroalkyl substances PFAS or forever chemicals. Turns out these chemicals do a great job resisting moisture, grease and heat, helping that straw stay intact while you slurp your beverage. They also resist degradation and accumulate in our bodies, soils and water creating health concerns across the board.

When composted, these chemicals are released and contaminate the compost. Apply that compost and the chemicals bioaccumulate in the plants growing in it. Eat those plants, which we LOVE to do and they build up in your body. Our restaurant compost is prepared to reduce our landfill waste and build fertility in our gardens. The paper straws are an unwelcome ingredient.

Drinking from the paper straws gives the consumer direct contact with PFAS as well, we don’t like that part either.

Are plastic straws better? Probably not. Unfortunately the paper alternative has vastly missed the mark: significantly higher price point, increased demand for forest products, poor performance, toxic chemical laden and not so completely biodegradable after all.

This Earth Day and every day, go straw-less with us! And those of you who have other feelings about single use plastics, go ahead and rejoice the return of the plastic straw.

To learn more, search PFAS/forever chemicals. ...