Today’s Globe Debate is focused on Plastic Straws. Our own Ward 2 City Councilor and environmentalist speaks out on Plastic Straws.
Ward 2 Councilor Emily Norton leading on the Environment – This time, Plastic Straws
by Amy Sangiolo | Aug 12, 2018 | Newton | 35 comments
Wow, that was a surprising discussion – when I saw the title I wasn’t expecting to learn much – banning straws seems like a no-brainer and I was expecting the no side to be argued by some corporate flunky like Ariane Cohen (who made herself look like a fool in the excellent PBS documentary about banning water bottles in Concord). Instead, Mr. Sarkissian identifies a legitimate consequence of the ban that supporters had evidently not even considered.
I normally support any and all pro-environmental measures without hesitation, but I certainly agree with Mr. Sarkissian that the requirements of people with disabilities need to be addressed before any straw-banning regulations are implemented. In fact it sounds like every restaurant should be required to have a box of plastic straws available for use by disabled patrons.
I 100% agree that we need to do as much as possible to minimize plastic waste. However, we also need to be willing to listen when people living with disabilities say that something isn’t going to work for them.
Here’s a good example: https://www.eater.com/2018/7/19/17586742/plastic-straw-ban-disabilities
“Plastic is seen as cheap, ‘anti-luxury,’ wasteful, and harmful to the environment. All true. Plastic is also an essential part of my health and wellness. With my neuromuscular disability, plastic straws are necessary tools for my hydration and nutrition.”
There has to be some middle ground that eliminates the vast majority of plastic straw waste while taking into consideration the very real concerns of people with disabilities.
According to NPR (https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/07/11/627773979/why-people-with-disabilities-want-bans-on-plastic-straws-to-be-more-flexible), Seattle’s ban allows an exception for restaurants to keep flexible plastic straws available behind the counter, but not on display. Maybe that’s a middle ground? I’m not sure I have the solution yet, but we should find a way to work together to solve both problems.
Emily wrote “And for those with a disability that makes it harder for them to drink from a cup, such as my nephew who has Down syndrome, restaurants can keep non-plastic straws on hand. Medical facilities can obtain waivers from bans. There are numerous non-toxic alternatives made from paper or reusable metal ones. Some restaurants offer pasta straws. At home, my kids like bamboo straws!”
Seems like Emily has taken into consideration the needs of people with disabilities and suggested solutions
We rush into feel-good stuff like this too quickly without thinking.
Looking back, the plastic paper ban was a disaster. When I go to grocery stores everyone gets thick “reusable” bags, which I have never seen anyone reuse. If the thin bags were bad for the environment–what the council created is worse.
Banning plastic straws is attacking a minuscule part of the problem, while hurting other people with disabilities and often getting counter-productive “solutions” (like Starbucks’ new plastic top which uses more plastic than it saves).
It would be much better to put all this effort into attacking a problem that accounts for more than 45% the plastic in the ocean, rather than <1%.
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-06-07/plastic-straws-aren-t-the-problem
If all the people fighting straws put their energy into outlawing the dumping of fishing nets and other gear, it would make a much larger difference to the safety of ocean life.
Too much government!
Why not make them available by request only?
Ha, I missed Emily’s suggestion that for people with disabilities, “non-platic straws can be kept on hand.” So she’s opposed to allowing an exception for disabled restaurant customers? Jeesh, that’s unreasonable.
This is how progressive movements get bogged down by irrationalism focused more on the cause than the outcome. Why the heck would anyone waste their energy opposing an exception for people with disabilities?
If you google plastic straws disability, you’ll see plenty of articles/tweets explaining why many disabled people need plastic straws. I agree with Andy that an excellent option would be making straws “opt in” rather than “opt out” – that is, only give them to people who ask for them. Add to that automatically putting plastic forks & knives in take-out orders, etc.
Meanwhile, the City Council’s energy would be much better used on issues that have meaningful effects on the environment rather than being the current trend. How about having the CC officially request that Whole Foods push their fish suppliers to ensure that they will not dump nets & equipment at sea. If we could have dolphin-safe tuna, how about ocean-safe fish in general?
PAPER STRAWS – THEY’RE DURABLE
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MAGA
@Coucilor Norton: Please know that you have at least one resident’s full support for any measure brought to the city council that would reduce consumption of single-use plastics. Let’s set an example to the rest of the world.
I agree with Newtoner, but if Councilor Norton were such a leader on this issue, she would have already brought such a measure to the council, wouldn’t she? So does anyone know if she has? If so, it certainly escaped my attention…
@Andy Levin, I think it makes sense to have paper straws available upon request. If someone specifically needs a plastic straw, they can request that.
A plastic bag with Newton Tab inside dropped at any doorstep is terrible pollution. Could we at least reduce it by switching to opt-in only distribution?
Phasing out the use of all single-use plastics is ultimately where we need to go. This involves changing consumer behaviors and working with manufacturers and retailers to redesign products and find alternatives to single use plastics and this takes a long-term commitment. I absolutely agree that fishing gear is a huge problem and there are many organizations working on this. However, taking local action that can be implemented relatively quickly is also an important tool to reduce plastic pollution much of which ends up in the ocean. Plastic straws are an easily littered product with readily available biodegradable or reusable alternatives.
Of course, it is important to include all stakeholders in the discussion. I requested to get on the agenda for Commission on Disabilities September meeting to discuss the impacts of taking action on plastic straws. They care about the environment too.@Gerry, this is why we are holding off on docketing the item. It will also be vetted by the Solid Waste Commission (I attend the monthly meetings).
@Jeffrey, Yes, Shaw’s and some CVS stores have unfortunately chosen to use thicker 4 mil plastic bags, give them out for free and call them “reusable”. I have already docketed an item that will amend the definition of a reusable bag that will solve the problem of these thick pseudo re-usable bags. I would have done this sooner but there was a plastic bag reduction law in the State legislature that was getting traction. Unfortunately, it did not pass, so the day after the close of the legislative session I docketed my items. However, the first generation plastic bag law was hardly a “rush into feel-good stuff without thinking”. We spent months doing research and also canvassed local businesses in village centers to get their input on phasing out plastic bags (the majority supported it). And the policy has been effective. We were the 7th community in the State to pass limits on plastic bags and now more than 80 communities have taken similar action. When was the last time you saw a plastic bag in a tree in Newton or blowing through a parking lot? The plastic bag ordinance is a work in progress, much like the effort to delay high school start times. I don’t think your’re quite there yet either. Meanwhile, I hope you are bringing your reusable bags when you shop.
@Anatoly Kleyman: I totally agree with you about the needless “free” distribution of paper and plastic items, including the Newton Tab. As far as the Tab goes, however, I have a feeling we will not be receiving it for much longer.
@Newtoner: Yes, and, besides the Tab, this senseless pollution comes in the form of various Yellow/White Pages we find at our doorsteps regularly.
I think there might be better ways to attack the plastic problem. Interesting that the strawless lids offered at Starbucks use more plastic than the straws they eliminate especially since I have observed many people using a straw with those cups not understanding the purpose. We would be better off educating people than eliminating the straws. It would be great for places to offer quality paper straws as an alternative so that they are more appealing to use but I also feel that it shouldn’t be difficult for a disabled person to get a plastic straw to meet their needs. They should be able to easily obtain one and not need to justify their need to use one.
I agree with @Jeffrey Pontiff that the plastic bag ban has been a disaster and that the efforts need to be better thought out rather than a feel good statement. Seems like there are bigger fish to fry in going after the single use fish nets.
I’m waiting for the 8-8 Council reduction proposal to make it’s way to the Council Docket.
What did people do before plastic was invented? Did no one eat or drink before disposable utensils came to be? Silverware and glassware worked for generations. It’s time to return to using sustainable materials, as inconvenient as it can be. No one hates washing out their reusable water bottle, thermos, etc., everyday more than I do, but I do it, because I refuse to be part of the plastic pollution problem. Regarding plastic bags, I asked my mother, who grew up during the 1930s and ’40s, how folks managed their household waste before Hefty bags existed, and she told me that they’d wrap messy stuff (including rotten food and pet waste) in layers of newspaper, and store it in a covered metal (!) trash can in the basement until collection day. It worked. OK, so the garbage might have leaked and/or smelled on occasion, and making trips to the basement three or more times a day with your latest deposit was annoying, but the means of containing said waste didn’t create yet MORE WASTE. As we all know, those oh-so convenient plastic bags never go away….
As the earlier comments here — and Leo V. Sarkissian’s column — notes, the issue here isn’t arguing about whether or not plastic straws are harmful — they are — it’s how we approach the problem to avoid unintended consequences (like to the boba tea business).
I respect the intentions of those who want to implement local regulations to encourage state initiatives but let’s be sure to do it thoughtfully.
Laura, just because something was done historically doesn’t mean it was better. And don’t think that people were more eco-friendly back then, because they weren’t. Pollution was a much bigger problem then, both in terms of litter and air pollution.
And yes, I would like everyone to reduce plastic consumption, too. But we are more aware of disabilities now, so even though people did without plastic straws we are more educated on the matter and should have more compassion.
@ Greg and MMQC, nowhere in my comment did I suggest banning ALL drinking straws. Sustainable, nontoxic paper, glass, and stainless steel straws exist (as Lucia pointed out in her comment above). You can find all three varieties on Amazon that are designed with an angled/slanted upper section.
Paper straws get soggy and unusable quickly and reusable straws can be difficult or impossible for disabled people to clean. I have used compostable straws which I think could ultimately work better as a plastic straw replacement but might be prohibitively costly for a small businesses.
Yes, I agree with you, but I also feel optimistic that (1) technology will gradually improve the durability of paper straws, and (2) consumer demand will gradually lower the cost of ALL varieties of reusable straws.
Maybe the councilors who think that straws should be banned should promise to donate $1,000 to charity for each someone spots them, or one of their family members, with a plastic straw.
It is a slippery slope. The plastic bag ban is ruining the environment more than no ban. The solution is not to keep retweaking. The solution is to get rid of the bag ban and not go down this road with a straw ban.
Most of us are good people who want to make good decisions for the environment. Most of us will reduce our straw use regardless of whether or not the council tells us to do so. As we add regulations, prospective store owners need to hire lawyers to sort through the regulatory code. Of course, rules end up being a function of storefront size and type of business, which makes things complicated. Let’s be a welcoming city for businesses also.
Here are some examples of how complicated and convoluted a straw ban might get. Are we going to ban straws sold in grocery stores? Straws that are attached to juice boxes? Those little straws that people use to stir coffee? The small plastic straw on the WD-40 can?
Think about kids in first grade. They receive milk with lunch in cartons. Cartons are nice for kids because they are low containers with flat bottoms–so it is darn hard to spill the contents. If straws are banned, it is likely that the first graders will pour their milk into plastic cups. This is bad for the environment and will lead to more spills.
Interesting article here from National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/07/ocean-plastic-pollution-solutions/
As you scroll down, they highlight some of the large corporations which are eliminating single use plastics, including straws and stirrers, or making them available only upon request.
As an aside, my eldest swam at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia last month. It was both wondrous and heartbreaking as she could see quite vividly the dead or dying coral in contrast to the living coral. It reminds me of a Native American quote I am quite fond of: “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”
Peace y’all.
@Councilor Leary: Thank you for the update on plastic bags. As you probably know, Cambridge has a 10 cent charge for any bag provided at the point of sale, including paper. Is a surcharge like this being considered for Newton? I would support that.
@Newtoner, yes I have docketed an item for a 10 cent fee on paper bags, the merits of which will be discussed at the Solid Waste Commission meeting in September. I am also working on efforts to require all private haulers to offer both trash and recycling services to businesses and ensure they are in compliance with the State Waste Ban law. Newton does not require commercial properties and certain condominium associations to recycle, shocking as this may seem.
@Jeffrey your argument is not rational. Am I now responsible for the actions of my husband, a grown man who I am sorry to say doesn’t always do what I tell him to do? (And has been known to use plastic straws). And by the way, removing plastic bags from our waste stream is not “ruining the environment”. Voluntary programs are not effective.
We are in a serious predicament. We are very quickly running out of landfill space with four more landfills closing by 2019. The train is speeding down the tracks with lights flashing and the horn blowing and we (and many other municipalities) are standing like deer in the headlights on the tracks. I was dismayed to discover our own vendor Waste Management is part of an effort to take 85 acres of the Leominister State Forest for a landfill. I hope this doesn’t happen but if it does it would be the largest landfill expansion in New England. And that certainly could ruin the environment. Especially for the folks in Leominster.
@Jeffrey: Your comment about the plastic bag ban being a “disaster” completely ignores the option of bringing washable canvas (not recycled plastic!) bags with you to the store each time you shop. They’re extremely durable — I’m still using the ones I bought in the 1990s when I was in college. For me, the task of retrieving them from my pantry on my way out the door is simply part of the grocery shopping experience, along with grabbing my car keys, sunglasses, and phone. And I always keep extras in my car for unplanned purchases. I can’t understand why this habit is so challenging for some people to adopt.
@Laura. No doubt about it. Good intentions aside, the ban is an environmental disaster. People had the option of bringing canvas BEFORE the ban. Wishing that more people use canvas bags won’t change a thing.
Now people are using heavier plastic bags, that probably take an extra 100 years to decay relative to the banned bags. If we really care about the environment, we should get rid of the ban. We should always revisit regulations and get rid of things that don’t work.
@Jeffrey: I agree with you 100 percent on “Wishing that more people use canvas bags won’t change a thing,” “plastic bags…take 100 years or more to decay,” and “We should always revisit regulations and get rid of things that don’t work.”
However, I consider plastic bags to be one of the things for which we should revisit regulations and get rid of because they don’t work. They pollute the environment.
I actually do reuse the thicker bags and would be willing to pay for them. I really like reusing Russo’s plastic bags. A lot of countries in Europe have been charging for bags for years, and people remember to bring reusable bags when they shop. People also manage to shop at Costco and BJ’s where no bags are provided or even available to buy.
Andrea, I’d say that one difference re: Costco/BJs is that if I’m going to Costco I will always have my car because I’m buying in bulk. If I’m going to Trader Joe’s or Star Market, I’m often walking so if I forget my bags or underestimate how many I need, I really need a bag option provided by the store even if I have to pay a small fee.
MMQC – I agree, and like I said, I don’t mind paying for the heavier plastic bags, even more so because the thicker bags hold up much better.