Ok, so by now you’ve probably heard that plastic straws aren’t great, right? Restaurants have pledged not to use them, and cities or entire states are banning their use. But besides refusing to use one when you’re eating out, have you ever thought of bringing your own reusable straw? Plus the words straws reusable totally go together – it’s 2019!
According to National Geographic and their sources, an estimated 500 million straws are used just in the United States every day, while another estimate says that the world’s beaches may be littered with as many as 8.3 billion plastic straws. Yikes.
However, fear not – there’s more options than ever when it comes to reusable straws! Whether you go with stainless steel, glass, bamboo, or even biodegradable paper, there’s lots of options for you to make an impact. Because not only will you still be able to enjoy your delicious beverage with an Earth-friendly straw, others will take notice and follow your lead (hey, what can we say – you’re a trendsetter!) Here’s a few of my favorites:
**Some of the links found will be affiliate links, which means if you use that link to make a purchase, I get a small commission. The commission comes at no extra cost to you, and it helps support my family and our quest to be as sustainable as possible. I only recommend products based on my own experiences and/or opinions. Please only buy products you feel can be helpful to you and your family.**
Reusable Straws – Ready to Rock!
First, let’s start with what’s probably the most popular option: stainless steel.
We have a set identical to this in our house (although ours didn’t come with the cleaning tools – bonus for you!). They’re always ready and waiting in the cabinet, and nice and easy to use. Although I’ll admit one thing my kids (and occasionally my wife) say is that if you’re drinking a really cold beverage, like a smoothie, that the stainless steel directly on your lips can get really cold. Enter: solution!
You may be familiar with my undivided love for Kleen Kanteen from my water bottle post, and the love continues with these straws. The silicone tips eliminate that cold beverage cold lips problem. Plus bonus: you can get them with a lid to fit onto your Kleen Kanteen tumblers, so you’re (potentially) making use of something you already have!
Ok, back to straws. Next up are the glass straws:
Now, full disclosure: glass straws are not something I’ve had personal experience with. However, something I have had limited experience with is bubble tea, and I know you bubble tea lovers out there are a dedicated bunch. These glass straws are wide enough to accommodate most bubbles in that tea of yours, or just let that chunky smoothie be sipped unrestricted. They do say the straws are shatterproof, but I’d probably still be a bit cautions with them around the kiddos.
Silicon straws have the luxury of being flexible and colorful (if you’re into that sort of thing). While they aren’t quite as natural as bamboo or glass, they’re quickly emerging as a useful item.
Now the more natural option: bamboo!
These are simple, clean, and they look cool. What else do you need? Plus you can upgrade to include the carrying case for use out and about. If (hopefully more like when) you’re taking these out on the go with you, you’ll need a carrying case if your selected straws didn’t already come with one. And, don’t forget the cleaning brush if you straw set didn’t come with one.
Time to Accessorize
Finally, for those times when you are hosting the kid’s birthday party or just a large group and the reusable straws aren’t the best option, you can get some paper biodegradable straws to meet your needs.
There are any number of paper straw options out there; just make sure they are biodegradable and off they go into the compost.
Straw Poll – Results are In, You’re Ready!
Alright, consider yourself reusable-straw-ready! Straws reusable + you + your beverage = perfect. Do you have a favorite type of straw? Let us know your preference in the comments. Plus, if you haven’t taken the quiz yet – what are you waiting for???!? And, to get updates on new posts or other exciting information from Sustainable Family Home, be sure to subscribe. Thanks for reading! And if you need a new lunch box to go with those straws, check out our kid’s lunch box options!