Have you seen the news?? Lots of places are jumping on the "No Straw" train and it's pretty exciting!
It's exciting to see something that you've been working to raise awareness on become a national topic! There are several things I hope come to fruition with this in the spotlight.
1. it's about more than straws:
My first hope, is that we will see straws as a gateway into a larger conversation. For me, this has never been about the straw. It's always been about the bigger picture. In order for people to connect with a cause it must become personal.
Straws are something that most of us interact with in our daily lives. It's an inexpensive change often costing nothing. It's an easy swap that doesn't require anyone to go out of their way other than to say a few words, "No straw, please."
I hope we can continue this momentum into a more meaningful conversation about single-use plastic, over consumption, and the misuse of resorces.
2. check your kindness:
My second hope, is that we will be kinder. I hope that we will learn to listen. I personally am for a straw on request policy. It's one I've proposed in my own town.
Straws serve a vital purpose for those who need them, and they should be available!
Your job is not to criticize someone who says they need a straw. It is to listen to them.
It's like if someone hurts your feelings, and you say, "You hurt my feelings!" And, they say, "No, I didn't." The other person can't tell you how you feel. Does that make sense?
You don't get to tell other people how to feel. You don't get to tell them how to react or what they need to survive. You have to trust that they know their bodies better than you.
What you can do, is listen.
We all need to work together to find solutions. Besides, a few plastic straws reserved for helping people in need is something I think we can all get behind!
This is why this movement has to be about more than straws. I'm sure we can all agree that straws is only one small piece of the puzzle. So, let's keep pushing!
3. something you can do:
Of course, if you don't need a straw to drink you can always ask for "No Straw," with your drink order!
It's a really simple and free way to reduce your waste!
Of course they do make a number of reusable options and below I break down the pros and cons of each one based on a number of different factors.
mouthfeel
cleanliness
taste
durability
hot and cold conductivity
But if you need a little extra help I have also created a fun quiz that will analyze every part of your personality to pick the exact, perfect straw for you!
Let me know what type of straw you are in the comment section down below.
Which Straw Are You?
glass straws:
It's no secret that glass straws are my personal favorite. These are the glass straws that I own!
Mouthfeel: Glass straws are really smooth similar to sipping from the rim of a glass cup.
Cleanliness: With glass straws you can really *SEE* the clean. You don't have to wonder if there's any residue hiding in the straw.
Taste: There is no taste imparted with glass straws.
Durability: They're surprisingly durable for being glass. I've dropped mine on numerous occasions and I've yet to have a problem!
Conductivity: Glass is a good conductor of hot and cold liquids but it maintains similar temperature to the vessel you're drinking out of. I often drink hot lemon water with glass straws so the lemon juice isn't hitting the front enamel of my teeth and I haven't experienced any issues.
stainless steel straws:
I like my stainless straws. I have a whole bunch so I'm always ready for a smoothie party. My favorite stainless straws are my boba straws!
Mouth Feel: Stainless steel straws are also very smooth but I don't like dinging them against my teeth.
Cleanliness: I can never quite tell if I've scrubbed my metal straws enough. I always look through the straw to see if I can see any raised residue.
Taste: You can occasionally get a metallic taste with your drinks. I've found the best way to avoid that is to wash them several times before using them and that it does fade over time.
Durability: Stainless steel straws will probably outlive us both.
Conductivity: Stainless steel is an extremely good conductor of hot and cold liquids. I once made the mistake of drinking my hot lemon water with a stainless straw. It was hot!
bamboo straws:
Mouth Feel: Bamboo straws feel a little chalky. They have a little bit of a texture to them.
Cleanliness: These are by far the most difficult straws to clean. Since they're bamboo reeds they often vary in size so you can't always get a scrub brush to fit or be able to see through the straw to look for spots.
Taste: Bamboo straws definitely impart a tropical taste to your drinks. I like to use them when I want to pretend I'm on vacation.
Durability: They're not breakable, but they're probably not the longest lasting option. I've had bamboo break on me before (not a straw just other products like a pot scrubber). After consistent use and being damp, it just broke. I'm sure the straws would probably suffer a similar fate.
Conductivity: The wood doesn't really change temperatures.
silicone straws:
I have used silicone topped stainless straw, never a full silicone straw.
Mouth Feel: It's kinda rubbery, squishy, feels like a soft plastic
Cleanliness: It fits most straw scrub brushes.
Taste: Silicone doesn't really taste like much.
Durability: Silicone is a really long lasting material.
Conductivity: Silicone is known for it's hot to cold properties. It shouldn't be an issue!
