What should consumers complain about after the ban on alternatives?

　　In the two months since the "straw plastic ban" was implemented, practitioners in the catering industry have replaced long-used non-degradable plastic straws with paper straws or PLA (polylactic acid) degradable straws.

　　How are consumers accepting environmentally friendly straws?

Is there a better alternative?

A reporter from Workers' Daily conducted an investigation.

　　Consumers complain about environmentally friendly straws

　　According to Shi Lei, the person in charge of Dongguan Hengsheng Packaging Technology Co., Ltd., the environmentally friendly alternative straws currently on the market are mainly paper straws and PLA straws.

"Paper straws are mainly made of wood puree and water repellent, and PLA straws are made of degradable materials such as corn stalks. The production process of these two materials needs to be updated."

　　Despite the curing and waterproofing treatment, many consumers still question the "easy to soak and soft" paper straws.

On February 23, Xiao Wang, who works in Dongcheng District, Beijing, went to a newly opened brand milk tea shop to check in after get off work.

"Paper straws can't hold you for a few minutes to drink hot drinks. If you encounter someone who likes to bite the straws, it will taste like gnawing on the toilet paper core." The paper straws used in this store made her feel quite disappointed.

　　For the similar spit of new straws, it frequently appears on social platforms.

Zhang Lu, who works on the Internet in Hangzhou, used to order milk tea for takeaway.

Since the paper straws went online, her frequency of ordering milk tea takeaways has decreased significantly.

She said: "The paper straws that have been soaked for a long time have a papery smell. It is easy to get lipstick after drinking this end, and the pearls in the milk tea cannot be absorbed, which is too embarrassing in public."

　　Although PLA straws do not smell of paper, consumers who are accustomed to plastic straws are still somewhat uncomfortable.

Some consumers said that the PLA straw "flattened after just one or two puffs, and it couldn't be recovered" or "flattened when heated."

　　Production equipment and skills need to be updated

　　Last year, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment jointly issued a document stating that by the end of 2020, the catering industry would ban the use of non-degradable disposable plastic straws.

　　Data show that in 2019, the cumulative output of plastic products nationwide reached 81.84 million tons, of which nearly 30,000 tons of plastic straws, or about 46 billion, were used per capita over 30.

　　Shi Lei said that plastic straws are basically disposable, but the degradation time is hundreds of years, and recycling is difficult. Plastic particles may enter the human body through natural circulation.

　　After the ban, the hurried alternatives on the shelves did not receive a positive response from the market.

Shi Lei said that my country's environmental protection straw industry has been developing for more than 10 years, and the products are mainly exported to Europe.

However, semi-automatic equipment was used before, and the water resistance of paper was relatively poor.

"Beginning in 2017, European orders for paper straws have increased sharply, which has slowly promoted the upgrading of my country's paper straw production equipment and skills."

　　Shi Lei said that the average production cost of plastic straws is 0.03 yuan per tube, paper straws are 0.08 to 0.09 yuan per tube, and PLA straws are 0.17 to 0.2 yuan per tube.

After the ban, businesses will basically use paper straws first.

　　The production and sales of paper straws throughout the country are increasing.

According to Shi Lei, the national plastic straw industry output in 2020 is about 50 billion.

The output of paper straws is about 30 billion, and the output value is 3 billion at the price of 0.1 yuan for 12mm straws.

　　"Beginning in August last year, the company received a sharp increase in orders for paper straws." However, the paper straws after being put on the shelves were criticized by consumers, causing their orders to drop rapidly at the beginning of the year.

　　The reporter noticed that many brands of milk tea chains have indicated that they will replace paper straws with PLA straws.

However, Shi Lei believes: "Currently, there is a lack of uniform standards for the environmental protection straw production industry in China, the internal mix of fish and dragons, and the profit margins brought by the high price of PLA straws may cause some bad manufacturers to produce substandard products under the banner of environmental protection products. Cause more serious damage to the environment."

　　Some consumers worry that "the wool comes out of the sheep", and the price of milk tea will increase as the cost of straws increases.

　　Promote green supply of merchants with environmentally friendly consumption

　　Yang Rendang, a professor at the State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Engineering of South China University of Technology, believes that in the face of consumer complaints, the first thing to think about should not be to return to the era of plastic straws, but to explore products that are more in line with consumer expectations.

　　According to market feedback, Shi Lei joined hands with South China University of Technology and Guangdong Youcai New Material Technology Research Co., Ltd. to step up research and development last year to improve the water-repellent, oil-repellent, antibacterial and antibacterial effects of the paper straw base paper, and to upgrade to non-adhesive paper straws.

　　Many market practices have also proved that banning non-degradable plastic straws is not the only way to replace straws with environmental protection.

On June 30 last year, McDonald’s China announced that from now on, nearly 1,000 restaurants in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen will be the first to stop using plastic straws and add a drinking spout to the design of the cup lid. Just open the small lid on it. It can be consumed directly.

　　Yang Rendang said that reducing the use of disposable products and plastic products is an inevitable trend. In this process, producers are required to innovate continuously and form standardized and unified industry standards.

For consumers, they need to gradually get used to the experience of environmentally friendly straws, or reduce the frequency of use of disposable products, so as to promote green supply of businesses with environmentally friendly consumption.