Many commercial food establishments have switched from plastic to paper straws to help the environment, and it has come to light that they contain substances known as PFAS. Alarmingly, PFAS, or per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, are causing some concern because they don't break down easily and can negatively affect people and the environment. A recent study conducted in the Belgian market analyzed 39 different straw brands made from five materials: paper, bamboo, glass, stainless steel, and plastic. The findings showed that PFAS was detected in almost all types of straws except stainless steel. The highest frequency of PFAS was found in paper and bamboo straws. As PFAS can take hundreds to thousands of years to break down, these findings suggest that using such straws may contribute to human and long-term environmental exposure to PFAS. This post will cover the concerns over PFAS and discuss possible alternatives.

Read More