Are We Stuck With Plastic Drinking Straws?

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42915440

I don't really understand this. When I was a boy, I can't ever recall seeing a plastic straw, but now they are everywhere. Why can't we just go back to using those waxed paper straws that we all used years ago ?

[emmie]

that's the intention, in fact i remember plastic straws very well when i was young..
I think the idea is that they will use a type of water resilient paper, which won't be clogging up the oceans,

[Eleena]

Hi Mikey, can was straws be recgcled? Was recycling what you had in mind?

[Eleena]

wax

[Islay]

You can but they are expensive - I bought a 100 plastic straws for 50p and then bought a 100 paper straws and they cost 2.50!!
You have to be care about the coating on paper straws as they won't decompose otherwise.

[emmie]

any plastic straws and apparently there are billions hanging around, like plastic cups, can't be recycled.

[EDDIE51]

Still available on Amazon
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plain-White-Paper-Drinking-Straws/dp/B017O1JJEU

[Islay]

Personally paper straws feel horrible on the lips

[Eleena]

My granddaughter has a selection of those wiggly hard plastic reusable ones.

[dannyk13]

Re-usable ones seems the logical way to go.

[mikey4444]

These plastic straws could be reused but be whom ?

The problem seems to be that zillions of these are produced each years and then discarded. If people are not going to re-use them, then the old paper ones would seem to be best, as they don't cause all this plastic pollution that David Attenborough told us about in Blue Planet Two

[Peter Pedant]

cost I think

we went back to waxed chip bags and blue salt wrappers
and they didnt really sell

[vulcan42]

Do we actually need straws? I was seven when I last used one, don't think I've missed out on anything since.

[Islay]

Vulcan I can only drink cold drinks through a straw

[steg]

I think the real problem is the companies that make these items,
if companies got charged for the amount of non recyclable materials they produced/used then that money could be used towards clearing up the mess they cause

[douglas9401]

Maybe if we sorted out our own mess instead of exporting it to countries not known for attention to rules when it comes to recycling then substantially less would be launched overboard, going some way to solving the problem.

As far as what's there now, I refuse to believe that it's beyond the wit of man to pick it up and do something with it.

[murraymints]

If they weren't there we'd get by...get rid ! Some things are more important than human foibles ..unnecessary ones at that..

[Islay]

human foibles - get real MM
If that is aimed at me - physically I am not able to drink cold drinks unless through a straw! Its the downside of my operation!
What about all the people in hospitals that can only sip through straws!
Uncalled for swipe again!

[Patsy33]

Why can't manufacturers make cups/ mugs with a straw like thin sprout coming out the side??

[douglas9401]

Elf n safety Patsy, you'll 'ave somebody's eye out wiv that.

[dannyk13]

Islay, there are plenty choices of re-usable straws:-
https://www.google.co.uk/search?ei=M5Z1Wv7LJ4ePgAam1ZGgDA&q=reusable+straws&oq=re-usable+straws&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.0i10k1l10.2359909.2369718.0.2372783.16.