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Are you aware that metal straws share all of those issues, notably that they do not degrade on human-relevant timeframes either? The difference is recycling the
by vntok 7y ago
Are you aware that metal straws share all of those issues, notably that they do not degrade on human-relevant timeframes either? The difference is recycling them is a lot more costly than recycling plastics in terms of energy/heat needed.
- b1ur 7y agothe purpose of a metal straw is not to be used once then thrown away. sure, if people began throwing away their metal straws after a single use it would be as bad as plastic straws, but that's not why people use metal straws.
- prepend 7y agoThat is the purpose, but you need to look at the outcome of what happens to them. Bioplastic straws are a superior solution.
- gamblor956 7y agoNo, they're not. Bioplastic straws are not any more biodegradable than regular straws. The "bio" part of bioplastic identifies the inputs for the plastic. Compostable straws can be made of bioplastics, but require high temperatures to biodegrade, meaning generally temperatures not found in nature (outside of volcanic areas).
- gamblor956 7y agoI was not aware that metal straws turned into microplastics. This is new to me. I suppose the scientists behind these amazing devices will win Nobel prizes for this accomplishment. Sarcasm aside, metal straws don't float, and fish and birds don't try to eat them. And unless you have some fancy expensive metal straws, in a corrosive sea salt environment the ones generally available rust in a matter of years.