Topic > The Unintended Consequences of Banning Plastic Straws

I have been indifferent to the "plastic-free straws" policy since I can do without using straws when consuming most drinks. However, the reports and results I saw about disposable straws convinced me that I should be concerned. If not disposed of properly, these straws could harm marine life. Despite being concerned about climate change and pollution, I am somewhat guilty of not actively helping to prevent it. I barely recycle takeout containers and utensils. So, I thought that supporting the straw ban would be my first step towards "eco-friendly" status and I would no longer look like a monster contributing to the Earth's imminent demise. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay I began my quest to find alternatives to plastic straws. The first was a collapsible straw which was interesting because it seemed easy to carry around in your bag. I first learned about it on FinalStraw's Kickstarter page, but I ended up purchasing a similar product from a local retailer. The bendable straw only had one thickness which was not suitable for all drinks. Then I got another metal straw, which I use for bubble tea. My metal bubble tea straw was purchased from The Hive, a Malaysian social enterprise that aims to promote a zero waste lifestyle for consumers through their everyday products and food sourcing from farmers local. When I visited their website, they mentioned that RM1 from every purchase of their reusable metal straws contributes to the #TakNakStraw (#NoStraw) campaign. The campaign was started to raise awareness about reducing single-use plastic consumption in Malaysia and is now a coalition made up of non-governmental organizations and businesses. After using both reusable straws, I realized that I'm too lazy to put them back in the bag after washing them. I will simply continue to do without straws. By reducing and eliminating single-use straws, this could give rise to other possible problems such as increased pollution from the production of reusable straws, retailers' profits and consumer health, as well as overlooking pollution from improper waste management . With retailers rushing to meet the demands of consumers replacing their disposable straws with reusable ones, the amount of materials spent in production is increasing. Manufacturers of these products must ensure that the production process does not produce residual waste that requires excessive effort to manage. If the production of reusable straws increases pollution, consumers' environmental efforts could become counterproductive. I'm concerned because there are no studies on the impact on the manufacturing processes of reusable straws to consider if I made an environmentally friendly decision. The next step concerns corporate profits and consumer health. Will companies sell products so durable that consumers will only need one? Manufacturers and retailers could choose less durable materials, so that consumers buy more replacements as straws wear out. As consumers and retailers place an emphasis on lowest prices, lowest-price production could also include unfair wages for workers and unsafe work environments when producing reusable straws. Furthermore, if the manufacturers produce?