Turns Out Your Soggy Paper Straw Wasn’t Saving The Planet After All

Despite being told for the last decade that paper straws are safer and more “eco-friendly” than their plastic counterparts, a new study shows that the cardboard replacement may actually be one of the worst options.

A team of researchers from South Korea recently tested four different types of straws, including paper, plastic, biodegradable plastic, and sugarcane-based (bio-based polyethylene), across 16 categories. The study found that the plastic straws had the lowest negative environmental impact in 10 of the categories — including greenhouse gas emissions and human toxicity.

Paper straws, on the other hand, scored more than six times higher than their plastic rival on the study’s measure of carcinogenic impact, according to the study by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment. The straws were also found to have more than two times the impact on environmental acidity, which means they might be contributing to pollution that makes soil and water more acidic, potentially harming plants, animals, and ecosystems.

The sugarcane-based straws received the worst results, with 16.18 times the human carcinogenic impact, 5.9 times the acidification impact, and had the largest impact in 10 of the categories, according to the Korea Herald.

While paper straws are often seen as the most “recyclable,” the researchers, who looked into the entire lifespan from raw material to disposal, said that the materials are actually difficult to recycle because of their small size and often slip through facilities. The outlet noted that only 26% of discarded straws are sent to landfills, according to national waste statistics.

Additionally, most paper straws use water-resistant coatings, chemical additives, or glues, which make it difficult to break down the material.

Researchers said that after interviewing over 1,000 people, 87.5% of them preferred plastic straws, and roughly 54% said they supported straws only when asked for them. The researchers suggested stores not provide any kind of disposable straw unless requested, according to the Herald.

South Korean lawmaker Kim Wi-sang said the study exposed the “failure of its greenwashing policy” and that the government must acknowledge it “fixated on ineffective substitute materials, and avoid repeating it.”

“Policy should focus on reducing the overall use of disposable products,” he added.