Around New England

Dartmouth College Running Out of Paper Straws

September 20, 2018

Dartmouth College’s switch to paper straws to reduce the use of plastic on campus isn’t working out as well as college officials hoped, because the school is running out of them.

Only one facility in the United States makes paper straws, and recent decisions by several left-wing city governments to ban plastic straws has led led to a run on paper straws.

“Unfortunately, being ahead of other places in the change to paper straws wasn’t great, as we now face a lack of supply on campus,” said Don Reed, associate director of dining services at the school, according to The Dartmouth, the college’s student newspaper.

Students quoted by the newspaper questioned the policy.

“The whole paper straw movement is a little bit bizarre to me because there are so many instances of single-use plastics in our lives, but the nation is so focused on straws,” junior Jessica Chen told The Dartmouth.

Another junior, Chelsea Pike, said she doesn’t like the new straws. 

“I feel like I have to use three paper straws to get through my smoothie,” Pike told The Dartmouth. “I don’t think they work very well.”