Does anyone else think paper straws are nasty?

I never tried one. But you don’t really need a straw to drink right?

I know, right?
That is why I swear on straw straws.

Yes, I remember getting put off by them when I was a kid. They also tend to collapse, and/or get clogged. I don’t remember when the last time I encountered a paper straw was.

To my knowledge I have never used nor seen one. The only time I use straws (plastic) is at a movie theater or fast food.

It depends on where you stick them.

@Yellowdog Lol, good one :)

I don’t think they make the drink taste differently, but I can’t stand how they collapse.

I haven’t used one since I was a kid. I remember not liking them very much.

I so rarely use a straw that I don’t obsess about my straw usage.

I almost never use one at home. I use them in restaurants maybe half the time, and I only eat out 1–2 times a week.

I think part of the reason I don’t use a lot of straws is because I rarely use ice. When I have ice in my drink it’s more tricky to drink without a straw.

I wish they work well enough to replace plastic straws. So far, nope.

I think the straw tastes like glue.

I was out with my daughter and her two sibling friends the other day, and I know that last year they were all talking about the evils of plastic straws. We were in the diner Sunday and the waitress brought drinks and plastic straws. I said to them “aren’t we not supposed to be using plastic straws?” I wanted to see what they’d say. One of them said “Yeah, but they’re just going to throw them in the garbage so it’s ok.” I had to stop and think about that one for a minute. Yes it was true, the plastic straw wouldn’t go into recycling where it might end up in the ocean, because the diner probably puts 99% of their recyclable plastic into the garbage. How ironic.

I don’t like them. I don’t like the way they feel on my lips, and eventually, they get soggy, like the stick on a lollipop.

I’m willing to endure them, for the sake of the b environment though. And I rarely use a straw anyways….

@jca2 That makes no sense to me. Did she mean the paper straws don’t get recycled? It doesn’t matter if it goes in the trash, the paper still breaks down faster than the plastic.

In general I would think when paper recycle is available that paper straws are accepted, aren’t they? I should ask my recycle center. I found out from an expert that my county burns yard waste for energy. Yard waste is picked up separately. I thought that was a great thing.

I asked if paper can be used the same way in our facilities, and he said yes. I hope they are doing it. I wasn’t clear if they are. Our recyclables like paper, plastic, and glass, are all put together in one bag by the homeowner, and separated by the recycle facility.

There were no paper straws at the diner. She meant the plastic goes into the garbage so will not end up in the ocean (or where ever it is they are saying plastic straws end up since they slip through the recycling machines). What she said makes sense – I just never thought of it that way.

@jca2 But, we don’t have a place to put all the plastic. China isn’t taking it like they used to, and if it goes into landfills it doesn’t break down well. Plastic is a problem no matter where it lands.

In my childhood many years ago… we used to have paper straws coated in wax. I collected and used them for fireworks.
I filled them with an oxidizer mixed with layers of strontium, barium, and copper compounds. I’d hang it from a coat hanger attached to the clothesline and light the bottom.
It would burn and fizz in bright colors that changed as the powder dropped. The final surprise was a lady finger firecracker that was hidden at the top. It was like a punctuation mark signalling the end of the burn. Nice.
My poor parents…... :-)

I agree @JLeslie. I try to reuse plastic at home when I can. I almost never use straws (maybe partly because in restaurants and fast food places, I hardly ever order a drink).

I never use straws.

Straws are for people in the hospital who can’t lift their head up to drink out of a cup.

Straws are necessary for people who drink iced tea or milkshakes.

In my house we drink iced tea without ice.

I only drink from straws, if I’m driving. Otherwise, I have no use for them either.