Santa Barbara Reacts to Trump’s Executive Order on Plastic Straws

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – President Donald Trump prefers plastic over paper—at least when it comes to straws.

With the signing of an executive order Wednesday, Trump directed the federal government to reinstate the use of plastic straws.

The move does not affect local ordinances, but it has sparked discussion.

Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse, a former owner of Paradise Café, was on the city council when Santa Barbara banned single-use plastic straws in July 2019.

"I was in the business back then. I was asked by, I think, Hillary Hauser of Heal the Ocean if I would do straws on request only or switch to paper straws, and I said, 'Sure.' I think everybody I know and my colleagues said the same thing. We would work our way through the inventory. It wasn’t that big of a deal," Rowse said.

He was surprised Trump made the issue a priority.

"The idea that the president is spending even the amount of time to tweet this as an issue right now—really, now?"

Trump has argued that paper straws “don’t work.”

His executive order reverses former President Joe Biden’s efforts to phase out single-use plastics made from oil and gas.

Environmentalists have long advocated for such bans, citing concerns about microplastics linked to illness and ocean pollution.

Kathi King, director of outreach for the Community Environmental Council, supports restrictions on plastic use.

"Straws, like all plastics, are a fossil fuel product, and we should limit their use to mitigate climate change. We now know they shed microplastics into our food and beverages. We need to push back against the fossil fuel industry’s goal to increase plastic production to safeguard human health and our environment," King said.

Jon Shenk, director of the documentary The White House Effect, which is screening at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, said he prefers paper straws and requests them when possible.

"I think today we have too much plastic in the world, so I would agree with policies that deliberately remove unnecessary plastic from the environment," Shenk said.

The White House Effect explores the origins of the political battle over the climate crisis during President George H.W. Bush’s administration.

Amanda Ximena, picking up a shake at a popular spot on State Street, said she believes paper straws are better for the environment.

"I often bring my own, along with my own paper bag," Ximena said.

She is not alone. Many people now use reusable metal straws in place of disposable options.

Santa Barbara was not the first U.S. city to ban the sale or distribution of single-use plastic straws, but it was the first in the region.

Goleta passed similar measures a few years later, though both communities allow exemptions for businesses and individuals.