US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday pushing for a return to plastic drinking straws, saying their impact on marine life was limited and that paper ones favoured by environmentalists “explode”.
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Republican Trump’s order reverses a target set by his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden to eliminate single-use plastic utensils like straws across government agencies by 2035.
“We’re going back to plastic straws,” Trump told reporters as he signed the order in the Oval Office.
“These things don’t work, I’ve had them many times, and on occasion, they break, they explode. If something’s hot, they don’t last very long, like a matter of minutes, sometimes a matter of seconds. It’s a ridiculous situation,” Trump said.
Environmentalists have long campaigned for an end to the use of plastic straws and other utensils, saying they pollute marine environments in particular.
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