South Korean study finds paper straws have 6.33 times plastic's carcinogenic impact
A South Korean government-commissioned life-cycle study found conventional plastic straws had the lowest environmental impact in 10 of 16 categories, and that paper straws had 6.33 times their carcinogenic impact. Two right-leaning outlets covered it and tied it to Donald Trump's anti-paper-straw policy.
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The story, neutrally told
Right · 2A study commissioned by South Korea's Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment compared four types of straw: conventional plastic, paper, biodegradable plastic and a plant-based polyethylene (bio-PE) straw, described by the Daily Mail as sugarcane-based. Daily MailR “A South Korean government-commissioned study compared four types of straws: traditional plastic, paper, biodegradable plastic and sugarcane-based straws.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ BreitbartR “South Korea’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, evaluated four types of straws” Read at Breitbart ↗ Right · 2The researchers assessed each straw's life cycle, from raw materials and manufacturing to disposal, across 16 environmental categories, assuming that nearly 74 percent of discarded straws are burned and 26 percent go to landfill. Daily MailR “They assumed that nearly 74 percent of discarded straws would be burned, while the remaining 26 percent would end up in landfills.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ BreitbartR “and their life-cycles in 16 different environmental categories.” Read at Breitbart ↗ Right · 2Conventional plastic straws had the lowest environmental impact in 10 of the 16 categories, including climate change and human toxicity. Daily MailR “traditional plastic straws had the lowest environmental impact in 10 of the 16 categories examined, including climate change, air pollution and human toxicity.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ BreitbartR “Conventional plastic straws had the smallest environmental impact in 10 of the 16 categories” Read at Breitbart ↗
Right · 2Paper straws had 6.33 times the carcinogenic impact of plastic straws and about twice the impact on acidification (2.04 times, per the Daily Mail). Daily MailR “paper straws had a 6.33 times higher carcinogenic impact than their counterparts.”“Paper straws were also found to have 2.04 times the impact on environmental acidity” Read at Daily Mail ↗ BreitbartR “Paper straws, meanwhile, had 6.33 times the carcinogenic impact of standard plastic straws, plus twice as much impact on acidifying the environment” Read at Breitbart ↗ Right · 2Breitbart reported that biodegradable plastic straws had 3.34 times the carcinogenic impact of conventional plastic and bio-based polyethylene straws 16 times. The Daily Mail said bio-PE straws performed worst in 10 categories, while paper straws were worst in three. BreitbartR “biodegradable plastic straws had 3.34 times the carcinogenic impact and 1.98 times the acidification impact”“they produced 16 times the carcinogenic impact of conventional plastic straws” Read at Breitbart ↗ Daily MailR “Plant-based plastic straws, known as bio-PE, performed worst in 10” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Right · 2Both outlets said paper straws are hard to recycle in practice: their small size makes them difficult for facilities to sort, and their coatings and adhesives add problems. Daily MailR “Their small size makes them difficult for recycling facilities to separate, while the coatings and adhesives used to make them can create additional problems.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ BreitbartR “virtually none of them get recycled” Read at Breitbart ↗
Right · 2South Korean lawmaker Kim Wi-sang said the government must acknowledge the failure of its "greenwashing policy, which fixated on ineffective substitute materials". The Daily Mail said the findings sparked outrage in South Korea. Daily MailR “has sparked outrage in South Korea, with lawmaker Kim Wi-sang saying” Read at Daily Mail ↗ BreitbartR ““The government must acknowledge the failure of its greenwashing policy, which fixated on ineffective substitute materials,”” Read at Breitbart ↗ Right · 2Both outlets linked the findings to US policy: Donald Trump signed a February 2025 executive order directing agencies to stop buying paper straws, and the White House followed in March 2025 with a report criticising them. Breitbart described the order as ending the Biden administration's push for paper straws. Daily MailR “The report followed Trump's February 2025 executive order directing federal agencies to stop purchasing paper straws”“The Trump administration launched its own crackdown on paper straws in March 2025” Read at Daily Mail ↗ BreitbartR “signed an executive order that ended the Biden administration’s push for paper straw usage” Read at Breitbart ↗ Right · 2The Daily Mail added that the findings could raise questions about US state and city limits on plastic straws, such as those in California, New York and New Jersey. Both pieces rely on secondary reports (the Korea Herald, via the Daily Mail, and the New York Post, via Breitbart) rather than the study itself. Daily MailR “The findings could also raise questions about restrictions on plastic straws across the US”“looked at several straw options, The Korean Herald reported.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ BreitbartR “according to a report by the New York Post” Read at Breitbart ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets present the study as vindicating Trump's opposition to paper straws and as a blow to environmental policy. The Daily Mail leads with a 'bombshell study'. Breitbart's headline is 'Trump Was Right'.
- Emphasis
- The 6.33-times carcinogenic figure, the Trump executive order and White House report, and the South Korean lawmaker's 'greenwashing' charge. The Daily Mail also stresses possible consequences for US straw restrictions.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither outlet quotes the study authors directly or links the original report. Neither gives independent expert comment or caveats on the life-cycle assumptions, such as the burn-versus-landfill split. Breitbart's headline stresses paper straws, although its own figures show bio-based polyethylene straws with higher carcinogenic impact.
- Charged language
- “bombshell study”“Trump Was Right”“greenwashing policy”“pulpy, soggy mess”
- For example
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“A bombshell study has found that paper straws are actually worse for the environment than plastic ones” — Daily Mail
“Trump Was Right: Study Finds Paper Straws More Harmful to the Environment than Plastic, Contain Carcinogens” — Breitbart
“paper tubes that collapse in people’s drinks” — Breitbart
What every side reports
- A South Korean ministry-commissioned study compared four straw types across 16 environmental categories.
- Conventional plastic straws had the lowest impact in 10 of 16 categories.
- Paper straws had 6.33 times the carcinogenic impact of plastic straws.
- Lawmaker Kim Wi-sang called the policy greenwashing.
Where accounts differ
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Which straw performed worst overall
- Right
- The Daily Mail says bio-PE straws performed worst in 10 categories and paper in three. Breitbart headlines paper straws as more harmful and gives bio-PE 16 times the carcinogenic impact, higher than paper's 6.33.
Donald Trump person
Coverage presents Trump as having opposed paper straws early. He signed a February 2025 executive order ending federal purchases, and the White House issued a March 2025 report criticising them. Breitbart says the study shows he was right.
“President Donald Trump described them as a 'pulpy, soggy mess'” — Daily Mail
“Trump Was Right” — Breitbart
Paper straws topic
Once promoted as a greener alternative, paper straws are described in this coverage as having higher carcinogenic and acidification impact than plastic and as nearly unrecyclable in practice.
“paper straws have long been promoted as a more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic” — Daily Mail
“virtually none of them get recycled” — Breitbart
UK and Ireland1 outlet
The Daily Mail stresses methodology and the possible effect on US plastic straw restrictions, drawing on a Korea Herald report.
“The findings could also raise questions about restrictions on plastic straws across the US” — Daily Mail
Daily Mail
North America1 outlet
Breitbart treats the study as political vindication for Trump, drawing on a New York Post report.
“Trump Was Right: Study Finds Paper Straws More Harmful to the Environment than Plastic” — Breitbart
Breitbart
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right2 articles
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Paper straws linked to six times higher cancer-related impact than plastic, bombshell study finds
Alarmist Frames the study as a 'bombshell' overturning the case for paper straws, and links it to US policy and the Trump administration's crackdown, while giving fairly detailed methodology.
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Celebratory Frames the study as vindicating Trump and mocks paper straws, with a detailed list of figures for each straw type.
- 27 Oct 13:22 First Daily MailR Paper straws linked to six times higher cancer-related impact than plastic, bombshell study finds
- 27 Oct 19:20 +5h 58m BreitbartR Trump Was Right: Study Finds Paper Straws More Harmful to the Environment than Plastic, Contain Carcinogens
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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