Plastic Straw Bans, the Consumer Perspective
Plastic straws have been in the news with celebrities, political leaders, and municipalities debating their use.
In the Nation's capital, a ban on plastic straws in restaurants and other service businesses began effective January 1, 2019. In May 2019, the Florida Senate passed an environmental bill (HB 771) that included prohibiting local governments from enforcing regulations on plastic straws over the next five years, but it was vetoed by Governor Ron DeSantis.
We thought it would be interesting to see how consumers feel about potential plastic straw bans and matters surrounding the issue. We conducted a nationwide online survey of 417 consumers. Response was spread over three generations: Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials.
What we learned
Overall support
More than one-half of consumers support or strongly support plastic straw bans. One-fourth are indifferent and another fourth oppose them.
Generational differences
Baby Boomers and Millennials are more likely to strongly support plastic straw bans than Generation X. Compared to Millennials, Generation X consumers are more likely to strongly oppose plastic straw bans.
Household income
Those with household income of $75,000 or more are more likely to strongly support plastic straw bans than those with lower household income. Higher-income consumers are also less likely to be indifferent.
Education
Those with post-graduate education are more likely to strongly support plastic straw bans. Those with a high school education or less are more likely to be indifferent. Those with a 4-year college degree are less likely to oppose plastic straw bans.
What this means
So what does this mean to local governments or policy makers? It suggests there is enough support of bans to effectively counter those who oppose such bans.