Plastics resource extraction, production, and use are out of control. This is what a group of renowned scientists have declared. Plastics are driving climate change, polluting our environment, entering our bloodstreams and even our brains.

For these reasons – and more – the United States’ political antics are troubling. Eye-watering bad decisions are being made at a time when policy is required to assist a rapid and just transition to sustainable living. We need to invest in renewable energy; avoid single-use plastics; eat less meat; ditch fast fashion; travel less… etc.

Since 20 January, the US president has signed more than 60 executive orders: including withdrawing the US from the UN human rights council; exiting the US from the World Health Organization and making it official that there are “only two genders, male and female”. The first one he signed orders that the world’s second biggest emitter of planet-heating pollution – that’s the US – will withdraw (again) from the Paris climate agreement which could take up to a year to be administrated.

And, on 10 February the US president signed an order Ending Procurement and Forced Use of Paper Straws. The order states that:

An irrational campaign against plastic straws has resulted in major cities, States, and businesses banning the use or automatic inclusion of plastic straws with beverages. Plastic straws are often replaced by paper straws, which are nonfunctional, use chemicals that may carry risks to human health, are more expensive to produce than plastic straws, and often force users to use multiple straws. Additionally, paper straws sometimes come individually wrapped in plastic, undermining the environmental argument for their use.

It is therefore the policy of the United States to end the use of paper straws.

This reverses the previous administration’s policy to “get single-use plastics, including straws, plastic cutlery and packaging, out of federal food service operations by 2035 in a bid to tackle the growing threat of plastic pollution”. On signing the order last week, the US president said, “It’s a ridiculous situation so we’re going back to plastics.”

More than 390 million plastic straws are used every day in the US, most for 30 minutes or less, according to advocacy group Turtle Island Restoration Network.

Plastic straws have become symbolic of the environmental impact of plastic pollution

Ten years ago, a video recording of marine biologist Nathan Robinson removing a plastic straw from a turtle’s nostril went viral. Subsequently, plastic straws have become symbolic of the environmental impact of plastic pollution even though the issue is much bigger than straws alone.

Plastic is not only harming the natural environment and animals, plastic has been discovered in our brains.  This plastic in our bodies can contain any number of 16,000 plastic chemicals, including toxic compounds – like PFAS, bisphenol and phthalates – which have been linked to cancer, neurotoxicity, hormone disruption or developmental toxicity.

Most plastics are made from virgin fossil-fuel based sources, linking plastics to climate change. According to the authors of the recent paper titled, Plastics pollution exacerbates the impacts of all planetary boundaries: “Estimates indicate that plastics production accounts for approximately 12% of total oil demand and 8.5% of total demand for natural gas and will account for approximately half of global oil consumption by 2050.”

It’s clear that a “back to plastics” policy is irresponsible.

What should be done? Well, policies should not encourage more use of plastic. They should encourage the reduction of plastic production, recycling, better waste management to reduce and eliminate plastic pollution, and the reduction of single-use plastic.

What can you do? For a start, instead of plastic or paper straws, use reusable straws. And if you can, use your lips.

• Image: Christopher / Pexels