While widely touted as more environmentally friendly, paper and bamboo straws purportedly contain chemicals more often than their plastic counterparts.
According to a group of researchers from Belgium, the majority of tested straws contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in air, soil and water.
PFAS were reportedly found in 18 of 20 paper straws and four out of five bamboo straws tested during the study.
However, it’s still unknown if the PFAS present in these straws are capable of leaching into food and water.
