Trump signs order against paper straws, says 'impact on marine life was limited'

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order pushing for a return to plastic drinking straws, saying their impact on marine life was limited and that paper ones favoured by environmentalists "explode."

The order by Republican Trump reverses a target set by his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden to eliminate single-use plastic utensils like straws across government agencies by 2035.

"We're going back to plastic straws," Trump told reporters as he signed the order in the Oval Office.

"These things don't work, I've had them many times, and on occasion, they break, they explode. If something's hot, they don't last very long, like a matter of minutes, sometimes a matter of seconds. It's a ridiculous situation," Trump said.

Environmentalists have long campaigned for an end to the use of plastic straws and other utensils, saying they pollute marine environments in particular.

But Trump — who has long appeared vexed by paper straws — rejected their concerns.

"I don't think that plastic is going to affect a shark as they're eating, as they're munching their way through the ocean," said Trump.

Presenting the document for Trump to sign, White House staff secretary Will Scharf said the environmental impact was "entirely debatable" and that American consumers were "wildly dissatisfied with their straws."

Trump, who has called climate change a "scam," has issued a series of orders on the environment since returning to the White House for a second term.

He pulled out of the Paris climate change agreement soon after his inauguration on January 20 and has pledged to "drill, baby, drill" for oil.