Think the recent media focus on plastic straws is ridiculous? So do we. Over the past week, you’ve probably seen tons of headlines about straws, due to a recent policy move by the current U.S. Administration that has raised the unnecessary and distracting debate of whether paper or plastic single-use straws are better.
In reality, this is much bigger than straws. Plastic is a product of the fossil fuel industry and Earth’s biggest oil spill. Made from the toxic waste byproducts of oil and gas production, plastic has infiltrated every aspect of our lives. We drink from it, eat off it, store our food in it—and all the while, we’re ingesting tiny fragments of this toxic waste that accumulate over time.
While many policymakers and news sources are wasting time discussing the “inconvenience” of flimsy paper straws and the potential presence of PFAS in paper straws (while we already know PFAS are in plastic straws), they are missing the larger issue: Single-use plastic items have been forced on us, and plastic pollution is wreaking havoc on our health. When we use plastic straws, we are literally drinking in plastic particles and chemicals. We should be talking about the fact that there is a whole spoon’s worth of plastic in our brains, where it doesn’t belong.
To change that, our leaders must support policies that reduce plastic production, not increase it. And reducing plastic use and production is what a significant majority of Americans across the political spectrum want: 81% of U.S. voters support a reduction in plastic production, and 85% want to see a rise in reusable packaging and foodware.
The previous U.S. Administration had taken cost-saving and health-conscious measures to eliminate some single-use plastics in Government purchasing, particularly implementing plastic-free reuse and refill. The current U.S. Administration could go even further by expanding on these reuse and refill initiatives, rather than opting for wasteful and hazardous single-use plastic. The issue is not straws, it’s plastic: the straw is just one of many shapes plastic is molded into before wastefully being used briefly then thrown “away”—but there is no “away.”
Our leaders must urgently support policies that reduce plastic production, and unfortunately, they’re currently headed in the opposite direction. Here are some real facts for having more productive conversations about the harm caused by plastic.
The Hard Truth: Plastic Poisons People
Plastic doesn’t only harm the environment; it poisons people. Unlike natural materials, plastics don’t break down; instead, they break apart into smaller and smaller pieces, never benignly degrading but remaining forever plastic.
Plastics contain over 16,000 chemicals, with at least 4,200 already known to be hazardous to human health. Plastic items shed particles called microplastics and even smaller nanoplastics, which we inhale, ingest, and absorb into our bodies. As plastic production has continued, and rapidly increased over time, it’s taken a tremendous toll on our health: current research shows that human brains now contain 50% more plastic than they did just a few years ago. Children today are born carrying a toxic burden, as plastic particles have also been found in placenta and breast milk.
Plastic in our bodies has been linked to a higher risk of serious health problems, including cancer; heart attack, stroke, and even death; dementia and Alzheimer’s disease; infertility and reproductive problems, including miscarriage and stillbirth. Plastic particles in the penis have been linked to erectile dysfunction. Plastic particle and chemical pollution of the air, as well as soils and waters, on the industrial fencelines of plastic production, shipping, and disposal activities and infrastructure, sickens and kills residents living nearby. Our organs are being contaminated, and when we eat or drink from plastic, we’re ingesting it directly.
Beyond the harm to our bodies, of course, microplastics and plastic chemicals are polluting our oceans, rivers, and ecosystems. They are making our built environment more flammable and toxic. Plastics are contaminating our bodies and communities. Governments seem to continue to prioritize plastic over safer, more sustainable plastic-free reuse and refill alternatives. But there’s another way; by investing in non-toxic, plastic-free reusable, and refillable systems, we can reduce our exposure to plastic, while saving money by reducing waste. Real solutions to plastic pollution protect people and the planet.
Take Action
Yes, plastic straws are part of the problem, but they’re just a tiny part of a much larger crisis. Learn the facts. We need to shift the conversation to the overarching issue: single-use plastic pollution and its toxic impacts. At Plastic Pollution Coalition, we are committed to creating real, lasting change—no matter how distracting the headlines may be.
Let’s be clear: plastic’s impacts on our health and the environment are dire. The good news is that there are solutions, and we need to act on them urgently. The future of our health and our planet depends on it.
It is crucial that our government representatives protect people and the planet by supporting a drastic reduction in plastic and chemical production globally. A strong UN Plastics Treaty would expedite this necessary systems shift. Urge the leaders of one of the world’s biggest plastic-producing countries—the U.S.—to support a strong, legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution.
