The sogginess of the paper straw and the taste of cardboard overpowers the $6 iced coffee, only 20 minutes into drinking it.
Since the discourse of climate change has progressed, the use of plastic straws has diminished. Furthermore,the Canadian federal government issued a ban on the production and consumption of single use plastics in December 2022.
According to a press release from the Canadian government, plastic shopping bags, utensils, stir sticks, and straws will be banned from being sold and imported throughout Canada.
This change can be seen prominently throughout the city. Shoppers Drug Mart locations no longer have plastic bags at their self-checkouts, nor does the grocery store chain FreshCo.
Despite this ban and change in consumer habits, is it enough to help the environment and our future?
Sabrina Bowman, the Climate Action Lead at the Leadership Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), currently works to educate and talk to post-secondary students around Canada about climate change.
The Leadership Lab is a policy think tank that works to connect people to policy and make them more relevant to people’s lives. Bowman said switching to paper straws or paper bags means that we are still producing single-use products, which does not hit the root of the problem.
“We need to get rid of single use anything,” she said. “In the long term, the best solution is reusables.”
Bowman said the federal government’s ban is a start, but companies and institutions should find creative ways to implement reusable items.
Humber College North campus’s O2GO program is a creative method of implementing reusable lunch containers into students’ lives.
For this program, students pay a one-time fee of $10 to get their lunch from the Street Cafe, in a green reusable container. After they are finished, they bring the container to the O2GO machine and get a token for their next meal in a new container.
This type of program is also used at TMU, Bowman said.
The root of the problem is the overproduction and overconsumption of single use items, plastic or not.
Instead of implementing the production of new paper straws to get rid of the old plastic straws, companies and institutions should advocate for reusable products that are accessible to all.
“We live in a system that encourages consumption,” Bowman said. “The other thing to do, that is really important, is to get engaged.”
Bowman said there are many ways for consumers to take action against climate change. Signing petitions and showing up at climate change events are small ways to create change.
“There is also huge power in pushing the government for more regulation,” she said. “One of the reasons why the climate change issue is so big now is because young people in particular, stood up and revolted.”
Climate anxiety is real and the big problem that consumers face, especially young people, is a lack of hope and the idea that one couldn’t do anything about it, Bowman said.
“Sometimes, just let yourself be sad. ‘Cause it’s hard, and know you’re not alone,” she said. “The future is scary right now.
“Change is possible, so don’t give up,” Bowman said.