--- title: "The Anti-Straw Movement Was Dumb, Annoying, and… Actually Worked?" description: "This writer argues that, though flawed, the anti-plastic straw movement marks a rare, meaningful moment for the anti-plastic movement." date: "2023-08-09" modified: "2023-08-09" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/anti-straw-movement-results" categories: - "Environment" - "Pollution" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "environment" - "plastics" - "pollution" - "the digest" --- # The Anti-Straw Movement Was Dumb, Annoying, and… Actually Worked? ![This writer argues that, though flawed, the anti-plastic straw movement marks a rare, meaningful moment for the anti-plastic movement.]() *Portrait of bored teenage girl lying in bed with soft drink \Image: Getty Images\* ## Surprise, Surprise It's a cold, hard truth: alternatives to plastic straws are annoying. Metal straws get gross if you forget to regularly clean them, while paper ones quickly get soggy. But there's a reason why we deal with less-convenient straw alternatives: like all other single-use plastics, plastic straws are [undeniably terrible]() for the environment and the organisms in it. And though the fervor behind the "[Save the Turtles]()"-heavy anti-plastic straw movement that gained steam back in the 2010s has died down, the lasting impacts of it, [as Harvin Bhathal writes for *Grist*](), mark a rare and *actually* meaningful moment for the global anti-plastic movement — and considering the very depressing moment in Earth and human history that we're in, it's worth reflecting on the movement's successes. Anti-plastic straw messaging "triggered a lightbulb moment for a lot of people," Jackie Nuñez, advocacy and engagement manager for the DC-based nonprofit Plastic Pollution Coalition and founder of coalition-led [Last Plastic Straw Movement](), told *Grist*. "It ended up becoming a thing I call a gateway issue." ## The Plastics Basically, Bhathal argues, the movement led to the widespread limiting of a number of single-use plastics; not just plastic straws, but throw-away cups, containers, and various types of plastic packaging. And most importantly, the [trendy movement]() *normalized* the absence of some plastics. That's nothing to bat an eye at — it's incredibly difficult to drive mass behavioral shifts, especially when corporate interests don't align. "Our brains favor habits because they conserve energy," Leslie Davenport, a climate psychology educator and consultant, told *Grist*. "So if we are going against the current — a BYO straw for example — it's hard for most people to do so unless highly motivated." It's also true that an ever-growing number of plastic straw bans are now in effect, in a number of US [cities]() and [states](), as well as [abroad](). There have also been some notable efforts on the corporate level: back in 2020, for example, [Starbucks ditched plastic straws]() in favor of sippy lids. ## Straw Man Now, to be clear, Starbucks is no environmental hero, and to laud it too heavily for abandoning one type of single-use plastic would be nothing short of [greenwashing](). Again: all of it's bad, and Americans — [to put the blame where it's due]() — have a lot more habit-changing to do. Still, if incremental, the anti-plastic straw campaigns did cause tangible change. It's small, sure. But it's something, and hopefully, future anti-plastic campaigns will continue to push the needle. **More on plastics:** [*The Ocean's Plastic Pollution Has Spiked to "Unprecedented" Levels*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()