An overview of plastic straw policies in the Americas

Although plastic straws account for a small fraction of urban residue, they are also found in marine and coastal waste, raising concerns in the community and resulting in policies to curb or ban improper disposal. These policies are still little documented and discussed in the scientific literature....

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Published inMarine pollution bulletin Vol. 172; p. 112813
Main Authors Neto, Arnaldo Mailes, Gomes, Thiago Santiago, Pertel, Mônica, Vieira, Louise A.V.P., Pacheco, Elen B.A.V.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2021
Elsevier BV
Subjects
Drinking Straws
Education
Environmental education
Literature reviews
Plastic straws
Plastics
Policies
Public policies
Raw materials
Regulation
Regulations
Single-use plastics
Straw
Surveying
Tourism
Regulation
Public policies
Single-use plastics
Drinking Straws
Plastic straws
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Summary:Although plastic straws account for a small fraction of urban residue, they are also found in marine and coastal waste, raising concerns in the community and resulting in policies to curb or ban improper disposal. These policies are still little documented and discussed in the scientific literature. This review article aims at surveying, categorizing and analyzing existing regulations on the American continent (North, Central and South America and the Caribbean). The regulations were analyzed in terms of straw bans; obligations regarding the type of raw material used in manufacturing; accessibility-related exceptions to bans; and the adoption of environmental education measures. A total of 363 regulations enacted in 62.8% of American countries were examined, 37% of which need technical standards to support their requirements. In Central America and the Caribbean, it is primarily the regulations that provide environmental education. Locations with a strong beach tourism economy have enacted plastic straw regulations. •363 plastic straw regulations were enacted in 62,8% of American countries.•33% of straw regulations mention environmental education.•75% of straw bans do not allow exceptions based on accessibility.•Many beach tourism locations have imposed plastic straw bans.•Some regulations need to be clearer and based on technical standards.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-3
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ObjectType-Review-1
ISSN:0025-326X
1879-3363
DOI:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112813