Dr Michelle Dickinson: nanotechnologist on the unexpected environmental drawbacks of paper straws

Just when you think we've fixed one problem - another turns up.  

Back in July, the Government banned all single-use drinking straws that contain any type of plastic to everybody other than those who have a disability or health condition that requires straw use. 

The ban was put in to help the environment, as plastic straws are too small to recycle and therefore end up either at landfill or blown around as litter potentially ending up in our oceans. In their place we now have paper or bamboo straws to help us drink on the go, which many thought to be better due to them being biodegradable. 

Now, new research out this week in the journal Food Additives and Contaminants has found that these so-called 'eco-friendly' paper drinking straws contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals and may not be better for the environment than plastic versions.  

In the study researchers tested 39 brands of straws collected from supermarkets and fast food outlets for the group of synthetic chemicals known as poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).   

PFAS which stands for polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of manmade chemicals used to make products water-, stain-, and grease-resistant. PFAS are also toxic at extremely low levels (parts per quadrillion) and potentially pose significant risks to our health. They are more commonly known as “forever chemicals,” because they are nearly indestructible. 

PFAS were found in the majority of the straws tested and were most common in those made from paper and bamboo.   

While the levels of PFAS were low in each straw meaning they pose only a limited risk to human health, the chemicals can remain in the body for many years and concentrations can build up over time. 

The researchers hypothesised that because the presence of the chemicals was almost every brand of paper straw, it's probably being used as a water-repellent coating, which means the straws aren't actually biodegradable - making the switch from plastic to paper or bamboo less effective. 

For now the only safe alternative is to either use a metal straw or no straw at all, and this is a great showcase of how sometimes we might make things worse by trying to make them better. 

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