- February 21, 2025
Following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on the "forced use of paper straws," the Ormond Beach City Commission may soon do away with the city's only environmental protection ordinance.
On Tuesday, Feb. 18, City Commissioner Travis Sargent brought up the president's executive order, which he read from the dais, and asked his fellow commissioners if they would be interested in repealing the ordinance, which was adopted in 2019.
"I think that we don't need that — an education straw ban — on our ordinances in the city of Ormond Beach," Sargent said.
Commissioners said they would be open to looking at the issue.
Since the city of Ormond Beach adopted an educational plastic straw ban aimed at reducing single-use plastics in the city, the use of plastic straws and stirrers by a city contractor is prohibited on city-owned properties and buildings, with exemptions for people with disabilities, medical conditions or pre-packaged drinks that already bring a plastic straw.
An effort spearheaded by then City Commissioner Susan Persis, commissioners at the time agreed to eliminate consequences for businesses and industries who continued to use plastic straws after March 1, 2020. It was outlined as a public education program to stress the negative environmental impact of single-use plastics while promoting eco-friendly options.
Although straws may seem a small part of the pollution problem, they loom large as being the catalyst for creating new product solutions, a new way of thinking" Persis said at a 2019 meeting where the commission approved the ban,
None of the elected officials who approved the ordinance in 2019 remain on the commission.
In 2023, the Observer surveyed 26 restaurants in the city's downtown district regarding the use of plastic straws. Of the 26, seven offered a non-plastic straw option, five of which were located on the beachside. Of the five, three offered compostable straws, one offered a biodegradable straw option and one offered paper straws.
On Feb. 10, Trump issued an executive order to "end the procurement and forced use of paper straws." The executive order directed the federal government to stop purchasing paper straws, ensure they are no longer provided within federal buildings and required the development of a strategy to end the use of paper straws within 45 days.
"The irrational campaign against plastic straws has forced Americans to use nonfunctional paper straws," the order reads. "This ends under President Trump."
The order adds that "cities and states across America have banned plastic straws, caving to pressure from woke activists who prioritize symbolism over science."
According to the Ocean Conservancy, 11 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean, adding to the estimated 200 million metric tons currently in the marine environment.
Plastic production and consumption, the organization reported, are predicted to double over the next 10 years.
