PSA: Paper straws have got to go.
Recently, environmentalists have been starting an initiative to decrease the amount of plastic use in the world to try and minimize the damage of ocean plastic. One of the biggest changes being the trend of replacing plastic straws with paper ones. They are EVERYWHERE. I am all for saving the environment and cutting down on plastic straws, but I swear if I get served another drink with a paper straw I might cry.
Simply put, this creation is so impractical it doesn’t even deserve to carry the name “straw.” Ever tried drinking your favorite drink from a paper straw before? Just imagine taking a piece of paper sitting on your desk and rolling it into what should be a straw, then enjoying a nice taste of wet paper on your tongue instead of any flavor you were hoping for. Sounds enticing, right?
Now don’t get me wrong, I strive to lead an environmentally friendly life and do my part as a human being to protect the earth. I never litter, recycle as much as possible, use energy saving lightbulbs, and turn off all electronics when not in use. But the use of paper straws is an initiative I cannot get behind. There is absolutely nothing worse than paying for an overpriced cup of flavored coffee just to have it given to you with a paper straw. Hell no I did not pay $5.00 for my daily caffeine fix to only be able to drink half of the drink before the straw gets soggy and useless. Not to mention the one time I ordered a smoothie and to my dismay, was forced to try and slurp up the barely liquid slush through a piece of rolled up paper. Now that was a nearly impossible task and let’s just say, that smoothie was left unfinished (and not by choice).
And if they seriously think they can fool me by giving me some cute pink and white striped design to compensate for the utter lack of practicality this creation has, they are so wrong. No amount of cute patterns on these straws will ever make a piece of paper in my drink a good option. If anything, it just goes to show that they should be used for fun and aesthetic purposes (like a quick two second picture) only! At this point, I might as well just drink my beverages without straws. That is something I could definitely get used to, and then we’d be saving on all sorts of materials. Anything to not have to struggle through my daily experiences with paper straws.
Also, let’s be honest, in the grand scheme of saving the environment, this is a very miniscule step in the right direction. Yes, I know every little thing counts, but there are much bigger initiatives we could be taking. At the end of the day, my iced coffee still comes in a plastic cup with a plastic lid. Poking a paper straw through all that plastic is not doing that much. I would be a little less salty if this was creating a huge amount of change, but there is a long way to go until that point.
All in all, I am in no way saying plastic straws are a good thing. I’m not even saying we should keep them around if a more viable solution presents itself. BUT paper is not the alternative. No amount of debate will ever convince me miserably trying to sip your drink with paper is efficient or practical. Paper was just not meant to be put into liquid beverages, period.