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Metal Straws, Is It Really the 'Savior' For the Earth?

As we know, the earth is in an emergency state of plastic waste now. There are at least 8
million plastic trash in the oceans, with 2 million coming only from plastic straws. From the
desire to save the earth, environmental activists suggest the public to use metal straws instead of
plastic straws. The popularity of these metal straws has risen accompanied by
#NoPlasticStrawMovement. But lately it has been revealed that in fact metal straws are not the
right solution, because there are a number of new problems behind their manufacture.

Metal straws are made from a mixture of metal, carbon and chromium, which in their
manufacture involves cutting down trees, digging the soil, and chemical processes. Ex-mining
pits are often left unchecked, forming dangerous “lakes”. This lake can be dangerous for people
who live nearby because the water content is dangerous and has been mixed with the residual of
metal.

After being mined, the materials for making metal straws will be brought to the factory
for reprocessing. The process will produce a lot of waste, which of course will damage the
environment including the surrounding rivers. This waste will certainly endanger the residents
who access the water in the river every day.

In the manufacturing process, metal straws require more energy than plastic straws.
According to a study conducted by researchers at Humboldt State University, to make 1 plastic
straw requires 23,700 joules of energy. Meanwhile, to make 1 iron straw, it requires energy of
2,420,000 joules. This is what causes a lot of production cost, thus making iron straws to
become expensive.

Not only causes water pollution, metal straws also cause air pollution. In comparison,
making 1 plastic straw produces 1.47 grams of carbon dioxide, while 1 metal straw produces
about 217 grams of carbon dioxide. It is not impossible that the ozone layer will become thinner
and make global warming even worse on this earth.

The number of losses incurred from making this metal straw makes its position as the
"savior" of the earth questionable. The points above are not justification for returning to using
plastic straws, because there are still other solutions to support #NoPlasticStrawMovement
including bamboo straws or drinking directly from the glass.