It doesn't make much sense from a purely scientific point of view, however, banning straws, much like banning plastic bags, is an efficient way to raise awarene

It doesn't make much sense from a purely scientific point of view, however, banning straws, much like banning plastic bags, is an efficient way to raise awareness and minimize inconvenience, to encourage people to re-examine their habits. (and I say "ban", but where I'm from, we can still get one for 10 or 20 cents, depending on the type of bag, and there are many exemptions, such as for meat) If we argue in favour of the status quo, which we know is broken too, waiting for a perfect solution, then absolutely nothing will change. There are easy ways to fix the recycling crisis, but it also means changing some habits.