Suckers for Straws

As Vancouver’s plastic ban approaches, voices of dissatisfaction have begun to surface.

By: Daniel Nottingham

The plastic straw ban will officially go into effect on April 22, says the City of Vancouver.

Photo credit: Daniel Nottingham

Vancouver’s upcoming ban on single use plastics has left some British Columbians scratching their heads, particularly where straws are concerned. The ban, which aims to cut down on single-use plastics, seemed to garner significant support from B.C. residents. Eighty-one per cent of residents asked supported the ban, a poll from Insights West said. The report also included findings about the actions taken by Canadians to keep plastic waste to a minimum. Twenty-five per cent of residents polled reported using reusable straws, rather than single-use plastic, the findings say. It comes as no surprise then that calls for change would start to be heard around the province.

However, some straw fans in B.C. have been raising their voices in return at the prospect of the upcoming ban. Paul Rempel and James Cox are two B.C. residents who support the use of plastic straws. “I would be heavily opposed to a straw ban,” says Cox, while sipping a smoothie through a plastic McDonald’s straw. Remple also has some concerns involving the upcoming shift in policy. “I’m not entirely against banning plastics. But they should have a transitional period. (The government) should let the industries decide,” he says.

Rempel is not alone in his thoughts on the matter. Due to concerns like his, a transitional period has been in effect for the ban for approximately one year now. A Q and A provided by the City of Vancouver discussed a delay last year from the originally proposed date of June 1, 2019. The release cites the need for proper City support in order to ensure a smooth transition away from single-use plastics. “Staff propose to phase in a ban on plastic straws in two phases according to license type,” the Q and A says. The effectiveness of this delay on public opinion is not entirely clear however, and given Rempel’s calls for further postponement, it is possible that it was hardly noticed at all by those critical of the ban.

Another concern is the matter of accessibility. An opinion piece by CBC echoed similar concerns to Rempel, arguing that a sudden change in the availability of plastic straws could be harmful, particularly to people with disabilities who rely on the drinking utensils daily. The article shot down metal and glass alternatives, insisting that plastic is the best option for the disabled. “At the moment, plastic single-use straws are their best option,” the article argued.

The utility of paper straws is not something Cox has much appreciation for either. “Paper straws are useless,” he says. “I have not once used a paper straw and had an even moderately positive experience. When you take your first sip and it just disintegrates into your drink … I’m okay with not drinking paper.”

But even the naysayers say the plastic prohibition isn’t entirely unwarranted. When it comes to environmental concerns, Rempel is willing to bend on a few issues regarding the ban. “I don’t think it’s a bad thing necessarily,” he says. “You have this big body of plastic out in the ocean … it’s huge. It’s the size of Texas or something. So yeah, I don’t think it’s good to let plastics go in the environment. I don’t have an argument with that.”

Indeed, the harmful impact of plastic on the environment is nothing to ignore. Twelve per cent of plastics are incinerated and 79 per cent accumulate in landfills or nature, a report from Science Advances says. For some, the severity of the situation provokes a degree of cynicism. “I don’t see how my weekly straw consumption is going to balance (that),” says Cox.

Professor Paul Richard, of the Environmental Protection Technology Program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, shared his thoughts on the impact of plastic straws on the environment. When it comes to pollution in the ocean, Richard suggests straws are a relatively minor contributing factor. “It’s less than one tenth of one per cent of all the plastic that ends up being in the water,” he says. The straw ban would need to be expanded to other single-use plastics for it to have a significant effect on the environment. “If it were to be confined just to straws it wouldn’t really do that much by itself,” Richard says. While it’s unclear whether or not single-use plastics are the straw that will break the camel’s back, the larger effect of plastics on the environment is not something to be taken lightly.

It seems like the way forward is through reform of some sort, a notion Rempel supports, at least when it comes to single-use plastic packaging. “A lot of stuff you buy in the store is in plastic. I get that. I think they should go back to cardboard … We never had this stuff years ago, and we did live without it” he says.

Richard views straws as a potential starting point for greater change. “What I like about it is the educational aspect, the symbolic aspect. Straws were singled out because (they are) a bit of a frivolous thing,” he says. If the public can come to support a ban on something they can live without, it is possible further reform can follow as alternatives arise. “It at least gives people the impression that something is being done, and that is not necessarily a bad thing,” Richard says.

With the ban rolling ahead and seemingly on schedule, the future for straws in B.C. is starting to dim. While the embargo on plastic continues to move ahead, Rempel voiced his remorse towards the papery future he now faces. “I like to use them when I’m at restaurants,” he says, referring to the now departing straws. “A lot of restaurants don’t have them anymore … I just kind of miss that.”