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President Donald Trump said Monday he is banning federal use of paper straws, saying they “don’t work” and don’t last very long. Instead he wants the government to exclusively move to plastic.“It’s a ridiculous situation. We’re going back to plastic straws,” Trump said as he signed an executive order to reverse federal purchasing policies that encourage paper straws and restrict plastic ones. The order directs federal agencies to stop buying paper straws “and otherwise ensure that paper straws are no longer provided within agency buildings.”The move by Trump who has long railed against paper straws, and whose 2019 reelection campaign sold Trump-branded reusable plastic straws for $15 per pack of 10 targets a Biden administration policy to phase out federal purchases of single-use plastics, including straws, from food service operations, events and packaging by 2027, and from all federal operations by 2035.Trump declared President Joe Biden’s policy “DEAD!” in a social media post over the weekend.While plastic straws have been blamed for polluting oceans and harming marine life, Trump said Monday that he thinks “it’s OK” to continue using them. “I don’t think that plastic is going to affect the shark very much as they’re eating, as they’re munching their way through the ocean,” he said at a White House announcement.Several U.S. states and cities have banned plastic straws, and some restaurants no longer automatically give them to customers. But plastic straws are only a small part of the problem. The environment is littered with single-use plastic food and beverage containers water bottles, takeout containers, coffee lids, shopping bags and more.Around the world, the equivalent of one garbage truck of plastic enters the ocean every minute from a range of sources, including plastic bags, toothbrushes, bottles, food packaging and more, experts say. As those materials break down in the environment, microplastics are turning up in the stomachs of fish, birds and other animals, as well as in human blood and tissue.And plastic manufacturing releases planet-warming greenhouse gases and other dangerous pollutants. More than 90% of plastic products are derived from fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas, and millions of tons of plastic waste enter the world’s oceans every year. Many multinational companies have moved away from plastic straws and have made reducing plastic use across their operations central to their sustainability goals, making Trump’s decision an outlier in the business world.Trump’s order is “more about messaging than finding solutions,” said Christy Leavitt, plastics campaign director for the environmental group Oceana, noting that most U.S. voters support requiring companies to reduce single-use plastic packaging and foodware.“President Trump is moving in the wrong direction on single-use plastics,” Leavitt said. “The world is facing a plastic pollution crisis, and we can no longer ignore one of the biggest environmental threats facing our oceans and our planet today.”The plastic manufacturing industry applauded Trump’s move.“Straws are just the beginning,” Matt Seaholm, president and CEO of the Plastics Industry Association, said in a statement. “‘Back to Plastic’ is a movement we should all get behind.”More than 390 million straws are used every day in the United States, mostly for 30 minutes or less, according to advocacy group Straws Turtle Island Restoration Network. Straws take at least 200 years to decompose and pose a threat to turtles and other wildlife as they degrade into microplastics, the group says.“To prevent another sea turtle from becoming a victim to plastic, we must make personal lifestyle alterations to fight for these species,” the group said in a statement.Every year, the world produces more than 400 million tons of new plastic. About 40% of all plastics are used in packaging, according to the United Nations.Globally, nations are creating a treaty to address plastic pollution. Leaders met for a week in South Korea late last year but didn’t reach an agreement. Talks resume this year as more than 100 countries pursue a pact that limits plastic production as well as tackles cleanup and recycling.The U.S., China and Germany are the biggest players in the global plastics trade. U.S. manufacturers have asked Trump to remain at the negotiating table, and to revert to Biden’s previous position that focused on redesigning plastic products, recycling and reuse.White House staff secretary Will Scharf, who presented the executive order to Trump, told him the push for paper straws has cost the government and private industry “an absolute ton of money and left consumers all over the country wildly dissatisfied with their straws. It really is something that affects ordinary Americans in their everyday lives.” Associated Press writer Jennifer McDermott in Providence, Rhode Island, contributed to this story. Matthew Daly, Associated Press
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E-Commerce
It has been a tumultuous few weeks since Donald Trump took office for the second time as president of the United States, While Trump has garnered headlines for his outlandish executive orders aimed at recasting the country in his own shape, Elon Musk, the tech billionaire turned government quango-buster as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has been no less busy. Musk and a small group of staff working under him have been traveling between government departments, demanding access to data they hold with the purported goal of making government operations more efficient. Serious questionsincluding by the U.S. Treasury itselfhave been raised about whether thats the case, with Musk and his team running roughshod over government and data access norms. (That those barriers exist, Musk and his team have argued on social media, is exactly why they need access to details of how the government works.) The immediate impact is already being felt. And plenty of alarms are being raised. But its not just the here and now that millions of Americans need to consider when thinking about their data integrity. The shockwaves of Musks shock and awe approach to accessing government data will continue for decades to come. What we know from Musk’s model of what he did to Twitterwhich, unfortunately, seems to be the model for what he’s doing with sort of orders of magnitude more complex and sensitive government systemsis really not reassuring, says Ian Brown, a visiting professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation Law School in Rio de Janeiro. (DOGE did not respond to Fast Company‘s request for comment.) Reports indicate that DOGE has already been granted access to highly sensitive personal information across a number of federal agencies. That sensitive data includes information such as a persons social security number (SSNs), family income, and tax records. It is hard to overstate how devastating any leakage of information of this level of sensitivity would be because it is high-value data to identity thieves, deeply personal, and difficult to fix as this type of information is intended to stick with you for a long time, says Elizabeth Laird, director of equity in civic technology at the Center for Democracy and Technology, a U.S. non-profit. (SSNs are appended to you for your entire lifemeaning that any breach of them could have a long-term impact.) What Musk is reportedly doing is not just to say, In order to modernize these U.S. government federal processes, we’re going to take significant parts of the data and do new things with it, says Brown. Hes saying, Were going to just completely bypass all those controls, take the data wholesale out of the protected government environments, and import it into environments DOGE is running with who knows what security and privacy controls, who knows what technical limits on what is done with that data, who gets access to it. There doesnt have to be an actual breach of that data in order to have an impact on users, Laird reckons. Just knowing that this information has been shared without your consent can inflict distress and can lead to life-impacting harms like identity theft, she says. Ideally, the best way to mitigate the risk of a data breach would be to not collect or share that data in the first place, Laird says. The second best thing to do is to place strict safeguards on its handling and sharing, she adds. Unfortunately, the public, including individuals whose data is being shared, is left in the dark about what is being done to protect them in the face of these increased security risks. Anupam Chander, a law professor at Georgetown University, feels these concerns on a personal level. When I filed my tax return electronically last year, I didn’t think that my data might possibly end up in the hands of people poring through files with a political agenda, he says. One hopes our private data is not sitting unencrypted on a 19-year-old’s laptop somewhere.
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E-Commerce
Lately, you may have noticed headlines about anti-DEI executive orders. While these orders are aimed at the federal government and dont directly affect companies, they can make anyone who cares about inclusion feel uneasy. If your organization is serious about creating a fair and welcoming workplace, now is a good time to review and refresh your strategy. Lets chat about some practical ways to stay focused on your values and navigate these challenging headlines. Reassure your team that inclusion is legal First things first, its important to remind everyone that diversity, equity, and inclusion work is completely legal. In an email interview, Working IDEALs Jenny Yang and Pamela Coukos shared with me that no executive order can stop private employers from advancing equal opportunity under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In simple terms, if your DEI strategy is about creating a fair workplace without giving tangible preferences to one group over another, youre in the clear. Take a moment to review your programs with your legal counsel. This will help you adjust any practices that might seem risky, like hiring quotas or mandatory training that could be misinterpreted. A quick check can reassure your team and help you move forward confidently. Be clear about your DEI intentions Your employees look to you for guidance. In todays fast-paced world, assumptions fill in the gaps when information is missing. Thats why its a good idea to make a clear statement about your organizations commitment to inclusion. For example, you might say, At our organization, we care deeply about creating a workplace where everyone feels valued and can thrive. No need for jargonsimple, honest language goes a long way. Leaders at companies like Costco and Cisco have already set the tone by speaking openly about why inclusion matters, and that kind of clarity builds trust both inside and outside the company. Prepare talking points for your leaders In a time when DEI is often in the spotlight, it helps to be ready with a few friendly, clear talking points. Equip your managers and team leaders with simple responses that highlight your organizations commitment. For instance, they might say: We are committed to inclusion because it helps us attract the best talent and better serve our community. Our focus on fairness and belonging drives innovation and strengthens our team. By having these talking points at the ready, your leaders can confidently address questions from employees, the media, or even casual conversation. This preparedness shows that you are proud of your commitment and ready to discuss it openly. Reset the narrative around DEI A lot of the current debate around DEI comes from misunderstandings. Its not about setting quotas or forcing anyone into a boxits about educating our teams and creating an environment where everyone can succeed. Instead of getting tangled in polarizing language, consider framing your approach around ideas like fairness, belonging, and the value of diverse perspectives. When you do this, its easier for people to see that DEI work benefits everyone, not just a select group. Show the cost of exclusion It might sound a bit business-like, but sometimes numbers speak louder than words. Studies show that companies can boost global profits by billions of dollars when they have more inclusive work cultures. Think of it this way: Excluding great talent because of outdated practices costs more in turnover, lawsuits, and missed opportunities than investing in a fair workplace ever could. The return on investment for DEI can be hard to measure but it is not impossible. By showing the tangible benefits of inclusion, you can make a strong case that your DEI efforts are not only the right thing to do but also smart for business. Take a proactive approach According to a recent study by Resume.org, 87% of companies are committed to including DEI initiatives in their workplaces. Instead of waiting for critics to question your commitment, why not take charge of the conversation? Consider hosting an event, writing a blog post, or issuing a press release that shares your organizations success stories around inclusion. When you speak first, you set the tone and frame the narrative on your own terms. Its a chance to show that youre not just reacting to anti-DEI headlines, but actively building a better future for your team. Use your voice for change Many people trust businesses to lead social change. If inclusion is a priority for you, use your influence to push for policies that support fairness in the broader community. Whether its by lobbying local lawmakers or partnering with other organizations, standing up for what you believe in can make a difference beyond your own company. For instance, Salsforce recently threatened to leave Indiana over legislation that would harm the LGBTQ+ community. Thanks in part to the companys involvement, the law didnt pass. In the end, anti-DEI executive orders are just one piece of the bigger picture. They do not directly impact your organization if youre committed to doing the right thing. By reassuring your team, communicating clearly, preparing thoughtful responses, and taking proactive steps, you can keep your focus on building a truly inclusive workplace. Remember, saying no to outdated practices isnt a rejectionits a redirection toward a future where fairness, respect, and inclusion guide every decision.
Category:
E-Commerce
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