The U.S. president denies the environmental impact of plastic and criticized paper straws: « I’ve used them several times, and sometimes they break, they explode. »
On Monday, February 10, Donald Trump signed an executive order reversing the goal of eliminating single-use plastic utensils in the U.S. administration, despite their harmful impact on the environment.
« We’re going back to plastic straws, » declared the American president to the press from the Oval Office. A well-known climate skeptic, Trump frequently dismisses the energy transition as a « scam » and has pledged to increase fossil fuel exploitation.
The order directs officials in various government agencies to « take all appropriate measures to eliminate the purchase of paper straws and ensure that paper straws are no longer provided in government buildings. »
Trump has repeatedly voiced his frustration with paper straws, which are considered less polluting: « These things don’t work, » he said while signing the decree. « I’ve used them several times, and sometimes they break, they explode. »
The executive order criticizes what it calls an « irrational campaign against plastic straws, » arguing that paper straws are « not functional, » contain « chemicals that may pose risks to human health, » are « more expensive to produce, » and often require users to « use multiple straws. » It also points out that « paper straws are sometimes individually wrapped in plastic, which undermines the environmental argument for their use. » However, plastic straws used in the U.S. food industry are also commonly wrapped in paper.
Plastic Utensils: A Staple in American Life
Denying the well-documented dangers of plastic pollution to marine life, Trump remarked on Monday: « I don’t think plastic affects sharks much as they navigate the ocean. »
Democratic President Joe Biden had previously set a target, via executive order, to phase out single-use plastic utensils, including straws, in federal agencies and departments by 2035.
Straws, cups, and disposable cutlery are deeply ingrained in American daily life, with high consumption of takeout food and beverages. The non-recyclable plastic straw has become one of the most recognizable symbols of global plastic pollution, particularly in the oceans.
Source: Le monde
