Relações ambientais, sociais e econômicas do uso do canudo de plástico

Abstract

Discussions regarding the use of plastic and its consequences stimulate the search for alternative materials, such as bioplastic, produced from renewable sources. One of the single-use plastic products, used on a large scale, and also by People with Disabilities – PwD, is the straw. The use of straws, mainly due to their environmental impacts, is the subject of legal regulations for their restriction and banning, however for a portion of society that depends on this product for their survival, as is the case of many PwD, these regulations are exclusionary. In this context of socio-environmental debates, and considering that a portion of society is dependent on straws, the work set out to raise and compare, through a literature review, the advantages and limitations of the use of plastic straws by PwD, taking into account environmental, social and economic aspects. For its execution, a systematic bibliographic review was carried out followed by a comparative analysis. The results show that the production of bioplastic straws can be as polluting as conventional plastic straws, as well as their disposal; despite being a dispensable item for most people, for some PwD it is an essential item that cannot be eliminated from the market; The costs to produce a conventional plastic straw are lower than alternatives. Therefore, it cannot be concluded that bioplastic straws are a favorable solution for both the environment and PwD; new materials need to be developed so that they can be accessible, sustainable and inclusive.