Paper Straws at the Movies: Are We Really Helping the Environment?

After a very long time, I recently went to the movies at an actual theater. I went with my brother, and as expected, the familiar popcorn and large soft drink combo was part of the experience. What caught my attention was not the movie, but something much simpler.

My brother picked up four paper straws for two drinks.

Curious, I asked why he needed so many. Was that not unnecessary waste? His answer was straightforward. Things had changed. Plastic straws had been replaced with paper ones in the name of environmental responsibility. The problem, he explained, was that paper straws tend to become soggy after a few minutes. To finish a large cold drink, you often need two or three.

He was right. Within minutes, the paper straw softened, lost its structure, and stopped functioning as a straw. By the end of the drink, more than one had been used. What was intended as a solution quickly became a source of additional waste.

This led me to reflect on the broader issue. Which option actually uses more resources and creates more waste? A single recyclable plastic straw, or multiple paper straws that end up unusable and discarded. While I am not fully aware of the manufacturing process behind paper straws, what is clear is that they cannot be recycled easily and usually end up in landfill.

Plastics, on the other hand, are increasingly recyclable when managed properly. Yet the response has been a blanket rejection rather than a thoughtful evaluation. In many cases, the focus appears to be on appearances rather than outcomes.

This is not an argument against caring for the environment. It is a call for better thinking. Environmental responsibility should be guided by evidence and impact, not trends or symbolic gestures. Otherwise, well-meaning actions risk doing the opposite of what they claim to achieve.

Sometimes, real environmental care requires less signaling and more careful consideration.