Paper Straws Might Not Be Better for You or the Environment

In an attempt to cut plastic waste, many drink chains and fast-food outlets have started using paper straws. But scientists have warned that these paper alternatives often contain toxic-forever chemicals and might not be that much better for the environment than plastic.

Before 2019, an estimated 500 million plastic straws were used in the U.S. alone every single day, according to the National Geographic. Since then, they have been banned in numerous states, encouraging many businesses to offer paper alternatives.

But, according to a new study, published in the journal Food Additives and Contaminants, these straws come with their own problems.

"Straws made from plant-based materials, such as paper and bamboo, are often advertised as being more sustainable and eco-friendly than those made from plastic," Thimo Groffen, an environmental scientist at the University of Antwerp in Belgium who is involved in the study, said in a statement.

"However, the presence of PFAS in these straws means that's not necessarily true."

After analyzing 39 different brands, Groffen and his team found that paper straws were significantly more likely to contain toxic-forever chemicals than those using other materials.

These forever chemicals, known as PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances), are a class that can be found in a range of everyday products. According to the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, these chemicals can lead to increased blood cholesterol and blood pressure, reduced immunity and an increased risk of certain cancers.

Not only are these chemicals dangerous to human health, but they can build up in the environment and contaminate natural water sources too.

Of the brands tested, 90 percent of paper straws contained these chemicals, compared to 75 percent made of plastic and 40 percent of glass. They were not detected in any of the steel straws investigated.

The PFAS concentrations in these products were still quite low, and, because most people only use straws occasionally, pose a fairly small risk to human health. However, over time these chemicals can build up, both in the human body and in the environment, and we are still learning about the severity of their impact on both of these systems.

The study did not test whether the PFAS could leach out into the surrounding liquid so further tests are needed to determine the full impact of these products.

While more work is needed, the study has highlighted that paper and bamboo straws are perhaps not as "clean" as they are cracked up to be. "The presence of PFAS in paper and bamboo straws shows they are not necessarily biodegradable," Groffen said.