AssetID: 54504571
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Trump Restores Plastic Straws, Scraps Biden's Ban
Caption: Trump Restores Plastic Straws, Scraps Biden’s Ban. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order reversing a Biden-era measure that phased out plastic straws in favor of paper alternatives. The order, effective immediately, halts efforts to replace plastic straws with paper ones, a move former President Joe Biden had initiated to combat plastic pollution. Criticizing paper straws as ineffective, Trump argued they "don't work," dissolve quickly, and break under heat, declaring the ban unnecessary. The directive instructs federal agencies to stop purchasing paper straws and develop a plan to eliminate them entirely across the country. Under Biden, single-use plastics were set to be phased out from federal operations, food packaging, and events by 2035, a policy Trump has now scrapped. During his 2020 campaign, Trump sold branded plastic straws for $15 per pack, calling them a "superior alternative" to what he labeled "liberal" paper straws. His campaign reported nearly $500,000 in sales from Trump-branded plastic straws within weeks, reflecting strong support from his base for keeping plastic straws in use. Estimates suggest Americans use between 250 million and 500 million disposable straws per day, although the exact number remains debated. The UN reports that 460 million metric tons of plastic are produced annually, much of which ends up polluting oceans and harming wildlife. While seen as an eco-friendly alternative, studies have shown that paper straws often contain PFAS, harmful "forever chemicals" that can linger in the environment and pose health risks. Instructions: THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: Current Affairs & Politics,Donald Trump,Plastic Straws,Joe Biden,Plastic,Paper,Alternatives,Pollution,Replace,President,Signed,Executive,Order,Measure
PersonInImage: