Gen Y Speaks: I’m not sold on green straws yet, because governments and businesses have to do better

I was left feeling like the odd one out at a recent dinner at a restaurant with two friends. After our meals had been served, both of them whipped out metal straws from their handbags to use in the soft drinks they had ordered.

It turned out that one had bought her own set of straws because “they looked pretty and I can save the earth” while the other had received one as a corporate gift.

Partly out of guilt, I uncovered the lid to my soft drink and sipped from the edge of the container instead, briefly wondering if perhaps it was time for me to cave in and get my own set of straws.

In the last few years, several businesses have jumped on the “Stop Sucking” campaign, doing away with plastic straws on their premises with the aim of cutting down on disposables. In Singapore, some of these businesses include food establishments such as KFC, PastaMania and Nando’s.

The move has resulted in more consumers carrying around their own “eco-friendly” straws which come in various materials such as metal and bamboo.

I, however, have yet to get my own set of straws. While part of it is due to the inconvenience of having to carry my own set around, I am also concerned that by doing so, I would end up easing pressure off businesses to make more sustainable changes to their business models. 

Many restaurants, for instance, continue to provide plastic bags or serve in disposable items which negate any benefit of removing plastic straws from their premises.

In addition, by getting rid of disposable straws without providing practical alternatives (such as cups with lids to sip from), businesses are simply expecting customers to take the responsibility for a problem they propagated — the use of plastic straws. 

In the end, corporations come up looking better even though they do little beyond discouraging the use of straws in their everyday business.

THE LIMITS OF INDIVIDUAL ACTION

Proponents for doing away with disposable straws argue that there is power in numbers. According to the Ocean Conservancy, a non-profit environmental advocacy group, plastic straws are one of the top 10 items collected annually during its International Coastal Cleanup event. 

Yet, plastic straws comprise only 0.25 per cent of the total plastics found in the oceans, and moving away from plastic straws will not make a dent in the remaining plastic floating around in the sea.

Others argue that getting rid of disposable straws is a good first move to encourage consumers and companies to reduce their overall use of plastics. 

However, one friend highlighted that the public had made little headway in tackling bigger environmental issues such as green energy since the video of a turtle with a straw stuck in its nose went viral in 2015. “This whole fixation with straws started a few years ago, and yet we haven’t moved on from it. Isn’t it time to address other issues?” he asked.

DITCH THE BLIND FOLLOWING INSTEAD

How then can we make efforts to do away with disposable straws that actually count?

I believe that the responsibility lies with those in power to make the most significant change.

As the ones with capital, businesses are best placed to innovate and produce practical solutions to replace outdated modes and material — in this case, disposable straws. Starbucks, for instance, has introduced cups with gaps for consumers to sip on, eliminating the need for them to carry their own straws.

However, to force businesses to go beyond cosmetic changes to their sustainability efforts, governments must take the lead through their policies. Through a carrot-and-stick approach, government policies can shape the behaviour of businesses and nudge them to find ways of marrying profitability and sustainability.

In some ways, the Singapore Government has adopted this approach. For instance, revenue collected from the carbon tax introduced earlier this year will fund energy-efficient initiatives by businesses.

However, it is ultimately the consumers who must pressure businesses and governments to take stronger action. In this regard, collective action will only be effective when consumers understand the consequences of their actions.

While those who purchase non-plastic straws may have well-placed intentions, many continue to use disposable cups, or travel exclusively by taxi or consume large amounts of meat which contribute to the world’s carbon emissions.

Rather than jumping onto trends, I believe that it is more important for people to understand why they are ditching plastic straws.  

Consumers must ask themselves why they are refusing straws, and whether alternative solutions are meeting the larger objective of their actions, which is to reduce greenhouse emissions. Only then can they apply collective pressure on both governments and businesses to make more sustainable changes beyond cosmetic ones.

I do believe we are getting there. The growing calls by youths around the world for governments to take stronger action to reduce greenhouse emissions is a sign that the younger generation is increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of their actions.

I look forward to the day when I can walk into a food establishment and purchase my drink, with an eco-friendly straw, guilt-free that my one purchase is not generating more waste. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Navene Elangovan is a senior reporter at TODAY covering the arts and the environment beats.

This article is written in partnership with the National Youth Council (NYC). If you have an idea on how to make Singapore more sustainable, turn it into reality by joining the Youth Action Challenge organised by the Ministry of Culture, Community & Youth and the NYC. Through a series of workshops and hackathons, you will get to hear from Government representatives, industry heads and youth leaders. Youth with the best ideas will have a chance to pitch their proposals to Government leaders at a finale in April 2020 and receive up to S$50,000 in grants to see their concepts through to implementation. Sign up for the challenge at go.gov.sg/yacenv