Trump signs executive order reversing Biden’s plastic straw ban

WASHINGTON — President Trump inked an executive order Monday night reversing former President Joe Biden’s ban on plastic straws in the federal government.

“We’re going back to plastic straws. These things don’t work,” Trump, 78, said in the Oval Office after signing off on the order, referring to paper straws.

“I’ve had them many times, and on occasion, they break, they explode.” 

Trump first announced Friday he was going to sign an order reversing the Biden-era policy to promote the use of paper straws over single-use plastics.

Biden had vowed in July of 2024 to “phase out” plastics in federal food service, with the end of procurement due in 2027.

The Biden order also applied to plastic cutlery and other packaging.

“Plastic production and waste have doubled over the past two decades, littering our ocean, poisoning the air of communities near production facilities, and threatening public health,” the Democratic administration said at the time.

Environmentalists have supported plastic straw bans, citing their impact on ocean wildlife. Critics of the restrictions have argued that they unfairly inconvenience consumers to solve a pollution problem to which the US contributes a small fraction.

Trump himself has complained that paper straws “don’t work” due to them getting soggy and not holding their shape.

“I will be signing an Executive Order next week ending the ridiculous Biden push for Paper Straws, which don’t work,” the president initially wrote on Truth Social Friday.

“BACK TO PLASTIC!”

Trump then went further on Saturday, writing that Biden’s mandate was “dead.”

“Crooked Joe’s MANDATE, ‘NO PLASTIC STRAWS, ONLY PAPER,’ IS DEAD! Enjoy your next drink without a straw that disgustingly dissolves in your mouth!!!” he wrote.

Trump had made similar remarks of annoyance back in 2020 on the campaign trail, saying: “They want to ban straws. Has anyone tried those paper straws? They’re not working too good.

“It disintegrates as you drink it.”