Paper straws, often marketed as a greener option, could cause more environmental damage than standard plastic straws, a government-commissioned study in South Korea revealed.
The analysis indicated that paper straws present 6.33 times the potential human carcinogenic impact and 2.04 times the acidification impact of regular plastic straws over their entire life cycle, from manufacture to disposal.
Scientists evaluated four straw types, conventional plastic, paper, biodegradable plastic, and bio-based polyethylene (bio-PE), across 16 environmental metrics.
In ten of those categories, including climate change, acidification, particulate matter and human toxicity, conventional plastic straws scored the lowest impact.
Researchers noted that the carcinogenic impact figure reflects possible effects during a product's life cycle, not a direct cancer risk to users.
The report also pointed out recycling difficulties, saying the tiny size of straws hampers sorting and that coatings and adhesives add further obstacles.
Authors advised cutting overall disposable-straw consumption rather than swapping plastic for other materials, and suggested businesses only provide straws when customers ask for them.
