Trump bans paper straws: In another major decision, US President Donald Trump on Monday said that he wants the government to move to plastic straws from paper ones. This comes after he said that he is banning the federal use of paper straws, as he said, “they don’t work” and don’t last long. This latest move targets Biden’s policy aimed at phasing out federal purchases of single-use plastics, including straws, from food service operations, events and packaging by 2027, and from all federal operations by 2035.
Joe Biden’s policy is dead: Trump
Trump has for long been opposing the use of paper straws, and even his 2019 reelection campaign witnessed the sale of Trump-branded reusable plastic straws for USD 15 per pack of 10. Over the weekend, Trump declared President Joe Biden’s policy “DEAD!” in a social media post.
White House staff secretary Will Scharf, who presented the executive order to Trump, told him the push for paper straws has cost the government and private industry “an absolute ton of money and left consumers all over the country wildly dissatisfied with their straws. It really is something that affects ordinary Americans in their everyday lives.”
Trump’s order is “more about messaging than finding solutions”. said Christy Leavitt, plastics campaign director for the environmental group Oceana, noting that most US voters support requiring companies to reduce single-use plastic packaging and footwear. “President Trump is moving in the wrong direction on single-use plastics,” Leavitt said.
Don’t think plastic is going to affect the shark: Trump
The US president also does not seem to be having any problem with “plastic straws being blamed for polluting oceans”, as he said, “it’s OK” to continue using them. “I don’t think that plastic is going to affect the shark very much as they’re eating, as they’re munching their way through the ocean,” he said at a White House announcement.
While several states and cities have banned plastic straws, and some restaurants no longer automatically give them to customers, Trump is set to allow the usage of plastic.
(With inputs from AP)
Also Read | Trump may surprise world with these five upcoming decisions: Here’s the list
