The Daily Herald has an article about the impact of President Donald Trump’s removal of the mandate that Federal agencies must use paper straws.
“Guy] Spinelli, the owner of Boss Straw in Illinois, is upset by all of it: The slowdown in demand, the extra plastic that will end up in landfills and, above all, the notion that paper straws are useless. He spent years, he says, ensuring his products could hold their own in any drink, hot or cold, while being compostable and complying with the Food and Drug Administration’s standards. He found a way to make them affordable, too, selling them for less than 2 cents apiece.
“’Why doesn’t the president reach out to some of us manufacturers and say, ‘Hey, what’s going on with this straw business?’” said Spinelli, who voted for Trump in the last three elections.
“I drink the same beverage he does — Diet Coke — and my straw lasts all day long.”
“Spinelli spent $250,000 developing the three-layer prototype and $1.8 million on custom machinery.
“The specialized paper is smooth on the outside so it doesn’t irritate lips, but strong enough that it can punch through plastic lids and make it to the bottom of an ice-filled cup without disintegrating.
“Spinelli noted, Fox News host Jesse Watters once declared it ‘the best paper straw of all time’ after a 24-hour on-air ‘water challenge.’
“But if demand for paper straws withers away, he’s out of luck.
“The specialized machinery can’t churn out anything else, and the paper can’t be used for printing.
“He worries he’ll soon have to lay off all nine employees and file for bankruptcy, as more of his customers turn to cheaper plastic straws from China.”
