How far does Trump's executive order banning paper straws go?
DENVER, CO - JULY 18: Paper straws at Lola's restaurant in Denver July 18, 2018. Lola's, upon request, will provide customers with environmentally sound paper straws, which are 100% compostable and marine degradable. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver P
WASHINGTON - This week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning federal use of paper straws, claiming they "don’t work" or "last very long".
"We’re going back to plastic. These things don’t work. I have had them many times. On occasion, they break. They explode. If something is very hot, they don’t last very long, like a matter of minutes," President Trump said Monday.
The move has been criticized by some environmental advocates, who suggest it’s a step in the wrong direction.
The backstory:
According to a White House fact sheet, the executive order end the "procurement and forced use" of paper straws. Under the order, the federal government is directed to stop purchasing paper straws and ensure they are no longer provided within federal buildings.
It requires the development of a National Strategy to End the Use of Paper Straws within 45 days to alleviate the forced use of paper straws nationwide.
Trump signs executive order against paper straws after saying they ‘don’t work’
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday to review federal policies that restrict plastic straws.
Plastic straw bans and restrictions will remain in effect in cities and states across the country. In D.C., a ban on single-use plastic straws has been in place since 2019.
"Plastic straws are not recyclable or compostable and violate the food service ware material requirements," according to the city’s Dept. of Energy and Environment.
Executive orders bind only the executive branch of the federal government, explained Prof. Susan Dudley with George Washington University’s Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration.
"He [President Trump] cannot tell people outside the executive branch how to behave, whether we can use plastic or paper straws, but he can say… ‘Say, in federal government buildings, we will only serve with plastic straws. We enter contracts, those contracts may not prohibit plastic straws’," Prof. Dudley explained.
Plastic bag ban in Montgomery County
The executive order was signed one day before Montgomery County council members unanimously approved a bill that would ban carry-out plastic bags at retail stores. Exceptions include dry cleaners and the sale of prescription drugs, or perishable items.
Under the bill, paper bags are still allowed, but tax on the bags would increase from five cents to a dime.
Montgomery County council president Kate Stewart was the lead sponsor of the bill and said it’s needed now more than ever with reversals on plastic bans made on the federal level.
"We’ve been working very hard to bring all the stakeholders together over the last year on this bill. That includes not only our environmental activists, but our chambers of commerce," Council president Stewart said. "We need to make sure here in Montgomery County, we continue to live up to our value and our goals when it comes to public health and climate change. This is our way of continuing to do that."
Paper straws: The arguments for and against
Paper or plastic? President Trump has joined the debate on straws.
Some shoppers FOX 5 spoke to said it can be difficult to keep up with what is environmentally friendly with laws and orders seemingly conflicting.
"We switch from plastic straws to paper straws to be more environmentally friendly, so what’s sense if we are banning plastic bags but we’re switching back to plastic straws?" Olga Golovanenko of Rockville said.
Shawnta Alston of Rockville offered her perspective.
"It’s confusing, but I like the plastic straws better. Paper straws, by the time I start using them, they’re crumbling up, or I’m not able to finish my drink," she said.
Once signed, the plastic bag ban will go into effect in January.
The Source: The information in this story comes from FOX 5 reporting.