Has it been tried? Yes, there is a little on the market. It does favor pine straw and lasts a little longer, however it is much more expensive. It has a plastic odor and does not contribute to the soil by breaking down over time. It will not mix well with other naturally occurring ground covers such as leaves or other pine straws because it is plastic. So you are faced with removal or separating. With real straws you can simply overlay with subsequent applications.
You also lose the NATURAL beauty and smell of pine straw.