It’s clear that the use of plastic straws is an issue that needs to be addressed. But are paper straws truly better for the environment?
Making the switch from single-use plastic straws to paper straws can certainly have less of an impact of the environment. Here are 4 benefits of using paper straws over plastic straws.

1.Paper straws are biodegradable
Even if you toss your plastic straws in the recycling bin, they’ll likely end up in landfills or the ocean, where they can take years to decompose.
On the flip side, paper straws are fully biodegradable and compo-stable. If they do end up in the ocean, they’ll start to break down within just three days.

2.Paper straws take less amount of time to decompose
As we learned, plastic straws can take hundreds of years to fully decompose, lasting for up to 200 years in a landfill. It’s much more likely that they’ll wind up in the ocean, where they break into smaller micro-plastics that end up being ingested by fish and marine life.
Unlike plastic, paper straws will decompose back into the earth within 2-6 weeks.

3.Switching to paper straws will reduce the use of plastic straws
Our use of plastic straws as a planet is staggering. Each day we use millions of straws – enough to fill 46,400 school buses per year. In the last 25 years, 6,363,213 straws and stirrers were picked up during annual beach cleanup events. Choosing paper over plastic will greatly reduce this footprint.

4.They’re (relatively) affordable
As more businesses become aware of the negative effects of plastic straws and environmentally conscious of their waste and recycling footprint, demand for paper straws has risen. In fact, paper straw supply companies can’t keep up with the demand. Businesses can now buy paper straws in bulk for as little as 2 cents each.

5.Paper straws are safer for wildlife
Paper straws are marine life-friendly. According to a study from 5 Gyres, they’ll break down in 6 months, meaning they’re safer for wildlife than plastic straws.