President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order aimed at encouraging the U.S. government and consumers to buy plastic drinking straws, pushing back efforts by his predecessor to phase out single-use plastics and tackle waste.

President Trump signed an executive order directing the federal government to return to using plastic straws. “We’re going back to plastic straws,” he said, adding that paper straws “don’t work.”

President Donald Trump’s campaign previously sold Trump-branded plastic straws with the message, “Liberal paper straws don't work.”

President Donald Trump signed an executive order shifting the U.S. back toward plastic straws and away from paper. Here's what it means for Connecticut.

"I don't think plastic is going to affect a shark very much, as they're munching their way through the ocean," Trump reportedly said after signing the order

Trump’s executive order claims that paper straws use chemicals that may carry risks to human health are more expensive to produce than plastic straws. Researchers from the University of Antwerp found forever chemicals known as PFAS to be present in paper, bamboo, glass and plastic straws, but not stainless steel ones, according to a 2023 study.