A CataSTRAWphic Problem

I was born and raised in Southern California, in a small town in Orange County called Tustin. The stereotype of this county is that the people live in a bubble, where everything is “perfect” and no conflict exists outside of this. However, since I was young, I was always aware of the social issues and happenings around the world. This was probably due to the fact that my dad is a lawyer and made his opinions known about the current issues of our state and country. As I have matured, I have picked up this opinionated fashion and have noticed that I too possess strong feelings about current issues. One issue that I am strongly adamant about is the plastic straw ban in Santa Barbara, California.

Throughout my past three and half months at Westmont College I have been able to explore the city of Santa Barbara and become acquainted with the quirks and beauty of this town. I have made it my goal to visit one coffee shop a week and try as many items on that menu as I possibly can. As I began my coffee journey I quickly discovered that Santa Barbara has placed a ban on plastic straws in October (Molina). At first, replacing plastic straws with paper ones initially looked like a good idea not only because it would be better for the environment but also because it would be profitable for local businesses as well. What I discovered, however, was that after only five minutes of this paper sitting in my drink, it began to disintegrate in my mouth and beverage! I am not the only person who has had a horrible experience with paper straws. Corinne Purtill, the author of “Ban Plastic Straws. Just Don’t use Paper ones, Because They’re Awful,” argues that,

Paper straws…do not deserve to carry the name “straw,” in the sense of a tool that can be trusted to convey liquid to one’s mouth using the forces of suction. Paper straws undermine the good intentions behind their creation, solving the problem of one single-use disposable with another single-use disposable—and leaving otherwise environmentally minded folk dependent on the straw, when no straw at all is clearly the better option. Paper straws are an abomination. (Purtill)

There was must be another way to reinvent the paper straws whilst still being environmentally conscious. I am proposing that the local businesses in the city of Santa Barbara change their ways from paper straws to bamboo straws. This is because these straws do not break down in the customer’s beverage, they are reusable, last significantly longer than paper straws, and the most important factor, are eco-friendly. Throughout my time in Santa Barbara it has been evident that the people of this city are very environmentally conscious and have a love and passion for the animals of this world. This is a beautiful trait to possess, however paper straws are not the answer to solving the plastic pollution. According to Alibaba, the cost for a bulk of 3,000 bamboo straws costs $0.15 per piece. . However, for $10,000 paper straws it costs $0.65 per piece. Although the paper is slightly more cost efficient, ultimately, customer satisfaction is what is more important in the end. Despite being more on the pricey side, bamboo straws come with benefits. They are “one of the Earth’s fastest growing plants, which means that this is a very sustainable material” (Bamboo Straws Worldwide). If price is too high, businesses could begin to grow their own straws. Also, bamboo is biodegradable, which means that no one has to worry about harming the Earth or the animals in it.

For this research report I decided to conduct an experiment at two of the local Santa Barbara coffee shops, French Press, which serves their customers paper straws; whereas a coffee shop down the street, Breakfast, serves bamboo straws. At both businesses I ordered a medium iced coffee and tested to see which straw would serve me best in my drinking endeavor. At French Press I sat sipping my beverage for an hour and half and went through four paper straws! I almost gave up using a straw, but persisted on because I did not want to have the ice fall on my face when I sipped my drink. The next week I traveled on down to Breakfast and ordered the same thing. I sat with my iced coffee and bamboo straw for almost two hours and did not need to change it out once. Clearly, the local business of Santa Barbara, and all the other counties that are affected by this straw ban, need to find alternate solutions instead of these disintegratable paper straws. Not only will bamboo straws help solve the plastic problem, but also will bring in happy and satisfied customers.

There has been much controversy over the new plastic straw ban that California has just recently passed. The local businesses of Santa Barbara have been attempting to solve this problem by using paper straws; however, this solution has been lackluster in positive results. I have proposed that these businesses should use bamboo straws instead. Not only will this solution bring about happy customers but they are biodegradable and will bring no harm to the Earth or creatures in it.

Featured Image: courtesy of the author, Lauren Thomas

Works Cited

Bamboo Straws Worldwide. “Why Bamboo?” Bamboo Straws Worldwide.

Molina, Joshua. “Santa Barbara City Council Votes – Again – to Ban Plastic Straws.” Sanluisobispo, The Tribune.

“Natural Bamboo Straw…Bamboo Straw Drinking Product on Alibaba.com.” Www.alibaba.com.

Purtill, Corinne. “Ban Plastic Straws. Just Don’t Use Paper Ones, Because They’re Awful.” Quartz, Quartz, 9 July 2018.