A new South Korean study claims paper straws hurt the environment more than plastic straws.
The findings come from South Korea’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, which says it analyzed four types of straws — biodegradable plastic, paper, plastic and sugarcane-based — across 16 environmental categories.
The researchers concluded that plastic straws had the lowest environmental footprint, including human toxicity, particulate matter and climate change impact.
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Paper straws, on the other hand, were found to create more than six times the carcinogens of traditional plastic straws.
And despite their recyclability, paper straws were found to be less likely to be recycled due to their small size, slipping through sorting equipment at recycling facilities.
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