Why paper straws are not more harmful to the environment than plastic ones

Since plastic straws were banned in France in July 2021, cocktails and lemonades are often sipped with alternative straws, such as paper ones, that are biodegradable and easily recyclable. But a Belgian study published in the journal Food Additives and Contaminants on August 24 revealed that paper straws were composed of chemicals that are bad for health and the planet. She concluded: "These 'environmentally friendly' vegetable straws are not necessarily a more sustainable alternative to plastic straws."

So paper straws would be as harmful to the environment and health as plastic straws? These conclusions were widely reported in the press. However, several researchers call for restraint. The study evokes the presence in straws of PFAS, potentially dangerous eternal pollutants. But "is the environmental or health impact of paper straws stronger than that of plastic straws? We don't have the answer. The article does not allow to say it, "objects to the Figaro Pierre Labadie, researcher at the CNRS / Environment. "The study simply says a fact: there are PFAS in paper straws," adds Vivien Lecomte, an engineer at the INRAE ecotoxicology laboratory.

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PFAS, chemicals already present everywhere

PFAS are widely used chemical substances found in cosmetics, plant protection products, outerwear, non-stick pans, and even toilet paper. "The presence of PFAS in paper straws is not really a surprise; PFAS are everywhere," explains Pierre Labadie, a specialist in the subject. "Finally, what does this exhibition represent in relation to our overall exposure to PFAS? There is no answer because it is not the purpose of the study."

In order to make paper straws water-repellent (waterproof), PFAS are added during manufacturing, but may also already be present early in the supply chain due to the use of contaminated raw materials, say the chemists behind the study. The origin of PFAS in straws is therefore uncertain and the intentional nature of their presence is not clear-cut, raising a new question.

Partial analysis

According to Pierre Labadie and Vivien Lecomte, the study is partial and incomplete. Indeed, the chemists analyzed 39 straws from different brands, supermarkets and restaurants for their study: 20 paper straws, five glass, five bamboo, five stainless steel and four plastic. "They analyzed 20 kinds of paper straws and only 4 models of plastic straws. It's a bit difficult to compare," says Vivien Lecomte.

In addition, under the study, a graph presents straws and their components; "The thing that jumps out is that it's very variable depending on the model: even within paper straws, there are some that have zero PFAS detected and others that have fairly high concentrations." The ecotoxicology engineer adds that paper straws do have much higher concentrations of PFAS than other types of straw, but "there are also paper straws where there are fewer than in some plastic straws."

No conclusions

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This is a study carried out by chemists that does not aim at all to assess a health or environmental risk, "insists Vivien Lecomte. To assess the health risk, it would have been necessary to further research and ask to what extent the PFAS contained in these straws can migrate to the beverages that we will consume. "In the same way, if we had wanted to assess the environmental risk, we would have had to analyze the conditions of degradation of these straws in the environment."

The announcement of the presence of PFAS in paper straws has made noise, perhaps too much: "This study highlights the danger but the danger is not the risk. A risk assessment should be done and hazard and exposure should be crossed. This research is a preliminary step that has the merit of existing," concludes Pierre Labadie.

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Other alternatives to paper

If these eternal pollutants have been found in small quantities in paper straws and are already present everywhere in our daily lives, they can however "be considered as an additional source of exposure to PFAS in humans and in the environment," say the Belgian authors. Pierre Labadie concedes, "their mere presence should encourage us to look for alternatives andlimit our exposure".

After analysis, the authors reported that none of the metal straws contained PFAS. Finally, wouldn't the best solution for health and the environment remain to do without straw?