KUALA LUMPUR — US President Donald Trump has railed against “liberal paper straws”, vowing to bring back plastic disposables by reversing a Biden order to use eco-friendly alternatives in federal lands as well as government agencies.
“I will be signing an Executive Order next week ending the ridiculous Biden push for Paper Straws, which don’t work. BACK TO PLASTIC!” Trump said on Truth Social on Friday night.
There were two initiatives under his predecessor Joe Biden’s administration.
The first, in 2022, saw the Department of Interior, which manages US’ national parks and wildlife refuges, embark on a push to eliminate all single-use plastic products on Department-managed lands by 2032.
The second executive order, signed by Biden last year, would end all singe-use plastic products in federal food services, packaging and events by 2027, while all use of disposable plastics would stop entirely across all federal agencies by 2035.
Trump’s hatred for paper straws is well-known, so much so that he called them “liberal paper straws” and his 2020 re-election campaign sold Trump-branded plastic straws as fundraising merchandise.
The climate change disbelieving president had also said about paper straws back then: “They want to ban straws. Has anyone tried those paper straws? They’re not working too good. It disintegrates as you drink it, and if you have a nice tie like this tie, you’ve got no choice.”
Trump’s disdain for sustainability initiatives has been evident since returning to power, pulling the US out of the Paris climate change agreement as one of his first moves.
He is also seeking to prevent funding for electric vehicle charging stations across the US, even despite arguments that these would create jobs and boost economic opportunities, while reducing pollution. – February 8, 2025