In the face of local restrictions on single-use plastic items, some companies are manufacturing straws marketed as biodegradable and environmentally friendly. But are they really?

The life cycle of a ‘green’ straw

Northeastern University researcher Bryan James and colleagues at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod put 13 drinking straws made from paper, bioplastics, oyster shell fillers and other materials to the test. “The study looked into how circular, sustainable and persistent they were,” says James, an assistant professor of chemical engineering.