×
GreekEnglish

×
  • Politics
  • Diaspora
  • World
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Cooking
Wednesday
18
Feb 2026
weather symbol
Athens 11°C
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • World
  • Diaspora
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Mediterranean Cooking
  • Weather
Contact follow Protothema:
Powered by Cloudevo
> World

Paper straws contain toxic ‘forever chemicals’ — could be worse than plastic: study

The new research comes following multiple initiatives enforced by numerous US cities, including New York, and restaurant chains to ban disposable plastic suckers

Newsroom August 28 06:26

It could be the straw that broke the eco-worrier’s back.

Paper straws might not be the “eco-friendly” drinking tube they’ve been promoted to be: Belgian researchers found that these so-called “green” utensils are toxic and therefore potentially worse for the environment than their much-vilified plastic counterparts, according to a new study published in the journal Food Additives & Contaminants.

“Straws made from plant-based materials, such as paper and bamboo, are often advertised as being more sustainable and eco-friendly than those made from plastic,” Thimo Groffen, Ph.D., study author and an environmental scientist at the University of Antwerp, said in a statement. “However, the presence of PFAS [poly- and perfluoroalkyl-based substances known as “forever chemicals” because they last for a long time before breaking down] in these straws means that’s not necessarily true.”

The new research comes following multiple initiatives enforced by numerous US cities, including New York, and restaurant chains to ban disposable plastic suckers comprised of polypropylene and polystyrene, which take hundreds of years to decompose and are linked to health problems from liver problems to birth defects.

“Their time has come and gone. I believe we should get rid of plastic straws,” NYC Mayor de Blasio said in 2018 after the City Council introduced a proposal to prohibit restaurants and bars from distributing plastic sippers.

>Related articles

Portugal on high alert due to severe weather, waves expected to reach 15 meters

Greece Climate Report 2025: Soaring temperatures, declining snow, second warmest in 30 years

Is the myth of youth collapsing? Why the best years of our lives start after 40

more at nypost.com

also read

Pfizer Documents Show COVID-19 Vaccines Contain Potentially Harmful ‘Modified’ RNA, Not mRNA

Ask me anything

Explore related questions

#climate#paper straws#plastic straws#study
> More World

Follow en.protothema.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news

See all the latest News from Greece and the World, the moment they happen, at en.protothema.gr

> Latest Stories

Owner of Violanta, Konstantinos Tziortziotis, remanded in custody after five-hour testimony

February 18, 2026

Hoxha’s secret naval base inside a mountain in Albania, the clash with the Russians, and the theft of the submarines

February 18, 2026

Ten centuries-old olive trees in New Heraklion, Attica

February 18, 2026

The photos of the execution of the 200 in Kaisariani are authentic; declared a monument by the Ministry of Culture, opening the way for their acquisition

February 18, 2026

Bulgaria holds early parliamentary elections on 19 April, eighth in five years

February 18, 2026

Kaklamanis: Parliament will hire one of the 12 children of a large family

February 18, 2026

Washington moves closer to declaring war on Iran, even immediately: “Trump’s patience is running out”

February 18, 2026

At least 38 killed in mine explosion in Nigeria

February 18, 2026
All News

> Politics

Kaklamanis: Parliament will hire one of the 12 children of a large family

What the Speaker of Parliament revealed at a conference on demographics held at the former Kapnergostasio

February 18, 2026

Greek-Indian relations: How Greece unlocks the world’s largest market

February 18, 2026

Kimberly Guilfoyle: Greece exemplifies Trump’s vision of “peace through strength”

February 18, 2026

Trump at the credential presentation of new ambassador Alexandridis: “I would like to visit Greece, our relations have never been stronger”

February 18, 2026

Anna Psarouda-Benaki: Her funeral at the First Cemetery of Athens – See videos and photos

February 18, 2026
Homepage
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY COOKIES POLICY TERM OF USE
Powered by Cloudevo
Copyright © 2026 Πρώτο Θέμα