Wasted efforts? Even paper straws won't break down in the dump, says waste consultant

The lowly plastic straw has become a flashpoint in a world realizing the enormity of its problem with disposable plastics, prompting a rash of announcements to ditch plastic ones in favour of paper.

But the founder of an Edmonton waste diversion company says that, while the move to plant-based materials is laudable, it may be still a wasted effort.

Literally.

"If these plant-based straws, these paper straws, go to the landfill, they don't decompose," Courtney Powell, founder of Elevated Enviro, told CBC's Edmonton AM on Tuesday.

"Nothing really decomposes in a landfill. So it is no different than a plastic straw going there."

According to Powell, the move to biodegradable materials is only effective if it is accompanied by an on-site composting program.

Otherwise, he said, it's just another piece of garbage heading to the dump.

• The last straw? Paper rapidly replacing plastic, says Edmonton-area distributor

The move to ban plastic straws has been picking up steam around the world.

Last week, Starbucks announced its 28,000 stores would replace plastic straws with either strawless lids or "alternative-material straw options." Plastic straw bans or reductions have also been announced by fast-food giant A&W, several hotel chains, airlines and more.

A Sherwood Park supplier of paper straws told CBC on Monday that his business has quadrupled in the past year, and he can't keep up with the demand.

• Starbucks plans to stop offering plastic straws by 2020

An issue for many businesses wanting an on-site compost service is that waste management decisions are made by the building's owner or property manager, he said. "So they would need to request that service from the property managers, or the property managers would need to implement it," he said.

• 'We need to rethink the entire plastics industry': Why banning plastic straws isn't enough

The idea behind Powell's company, ElevatedEnviro, is to help companies understand what happens to their waste and connect them with services to recycle it.

"There's lots of misinformation out there and that's what our company does. We connect the dots."

Although plant-based or paper straws can decompose in a composter, they won't break down at the dump.

Powell explained that the landfill operations involve spreading the garbage and covering it with dirt or gravel, removing contact with air.

Without air, decomposition does not happen, he said.

"You could literally bite into an apple, throw it into a landfill, come back 50 years later and that apple would still be there," he said. "It wouldn't be in perfect condition but it would still be there."