Why Paper Straws FAILED

[@Meowanaise]

Putting a paper straw through a disposable plastic drink lid just really drives home it's performative action without any intent to be a solution.

[@FutureProofTV]

THIS ^^^

[@shakeyj4523]

Yes. Drink from a cup. Problem solved.

[@jasons5916]

I also like how after the plastic bag ban, the bags got much much thicker so that using a bag now is like using 5 bags from before.

[@TeeTee-bz3pv]

Make it make sense….

[@Fayknol]

Yep, especially when I get a drink as order in and they give me the lid, I don't wanna give it back but I don't need a damn lid to drink at my table; I'm not some baby that needs a sippy cup

[@Nernel]

As a disabled person who has to use straws to drink, i appreciate your breakdown of why alternative straws can be problematic. Biodegradable ones melt in hot beverages (and I'm a coffee fanatic), metal ones conduct heat, silicone ones can get nasty if you can't clean them and have to carry them around with you, etc.. I always keep a stash of plastic straws with me when I'm out in public because the non plastic options just don't really work for me. That being said, i do believe straws should be available upon request rather than automatically given out, just as a small attempt to reduce waste.

[@aiodensghost8645]

I'm a fan of rinsing out and keeping my plastic straws, too. The only time to throw them away is when the mold/mildew

[@willy4170]

I would want to know why the cleaning is a problem for the silicone straws, but not for the others? For example, you wouldn’t have the same problem with metal/glass straws?

[@I_report_scammers_spammers]

Yeah. I have stainless steel ones in various sizes and have the little silicone covers to deal with the heat issue, and I clean them. I have rushes in various sizes and all that. But I don't *need* them. If you NEED them (and it sounds like you legit do!) you should have access to them. People like me, who don't NEED them? We need to quit acting as if the world revolves around our convenience. For fuck's sake...people without a legitimate need for a straw (myself included) can just *DRINK THE DAMNED DRINK WITHOUT THE STUPID STRAW*. Do I prefer them? Sure. But I don't need them. Just like I don't need to have disposable flatware. I even bought flatware to bring to work to eat my lunch with, but I'm shit about doing that, and I'm shit about straws, and that's just frankly shitty of me, and I need to do better.

[@funnyyellowdog8833]

I really wasn't aware of that problem. There are people out there that really need their platic straws! Another option are glass and metal straws, with their own downsides.

[@matejmotuz108]

Have you tried glass straws ? They last forever and don't conduct heat that much , yes they can break , but not easily

[@salmon-ella6459]

I think a notable aspect of this whole straw thing is that a lot of big companies took the chance to distract the general public from the things actually causing the climate crisis (their own actions) and let them focus on individual choice and action rather than something more impactful. My opinion is that this whole straw thing, from the perspective of actually helping the environment, was basically pointless because one barrel of oil in the gulf is a lot more harmful than plastic straws.

[@FutureProofTV]

Yes, definitely!! This was the last straw (haha) for a lot of people and they stepped out of the environmental movement because of these exact reasons. Thanks for sharing here!

[@kimyoonmisurnamefirst7061]

That's often the case with systemic problems in general--companies and organizations make it a personal problem rather than systemic, so that it's a problem with the consumer and what the consumer doesn't see, doesn't know is better for the corporations in general.

[@k20nutz]

Totally agree, they did the same thing with plastic recycling in the first place.

[@TheOnlyTaps]

This is soooooo true 💯. It's something I've often battled with. Coz even other smaller initiatives beyond the straws is basically still a good initiative but it's a drop in the ocean compared to the actual impact that large corporations are doing.

[@Warp2090]

but global warming isnt caused by human

[@TheArmageddon1998]

"They suck" is a compliment when it comes to straws

[@BAdtnl]

They suck, but NOT in the good way😡

[@candiedskull9841]

The thing that always got me about the paper straws (beside the weird taste and how quickly they dissolved), is here is a company giving you a paper straw for your drink in a _disposable plastic_ cup

[@mercyisamercyfulgamer2081]

I was actually going to mention that. It rubs me the wrong way when they have paper straws but keep the single use plastic cups. Indicating to me that they want to look environmentally friendly without really trying that hard to actually be environmentally friendly.

[@athibantrk5172]

Which company is that ?

[@LightCloak]

McDonalds moved from paper cups w/ plastic straws to.. plastic cups with paper straws. It's actually asinine.@@athibantrk5172

[@sjfs231]

@@athibantrk5172 all of em

[@cern1999sb]

The cups are typically not recyclable because they have a plastic lining to protect it from its liquid contents. The lids are entirely plastic. Bottles are pretty much all plastic. If you dine in, use something that's washable and reusable, and only provide straws when they are specifically requested. For takeaway, it's harder to reduce all waste, but more restaurants offer discounts for people who bring their own cups. A step up on this would be to just serve the drink in a reusable cup by default (would cost a bit more) but you get that money back when you bring it back to the restaurant

[@unboxing_legend7708]

theres quite alot of places that use aluminium or tin foil instead because its far easier to contain, can be recycled easily and tends to keep hot drinks hot for a good amount of time. the plastic lining is still very common though.

[@KingUnKaged]

Paper bag bans aren't even an 'in our lifetime' thing. Here in Ontario the LCBO already eliminated them, because selling you enough alcohol to drink yourself dead is fine, but carrying that alcohol home in something made of paper is horribly immoral and dangerous...

[@FutureProofTV]

Really?? That's..... That's really something, eh?

[@StacksSats]

i already see the yellow freshco and green dollarama eco bags littered at parks

[@christophermiller3031]

So now at the LCBO they put your order in some of the boxes they have leftover... I prefer a box to a paper bag... Reuse is better than anything isn't it?😅

[@leofortey7561]

@@christophermiller3031 Not enough boxes for all those drinkers. They will sell reusable totes, I'm sure. You remember Knob Hill Farms?

[@cybertonto72]

In the UK we just skipped right past the paper bag thing and went to 'reusable' bags. Now most people will carry a tote if they are going shopping

[@Handles_AreStupid]

The funniest part about paper straws is that some companies have started laminating and waxing their straws to stop them from absorbing water, which actually stops them from being bio-degradable. If bio-friendly straws are going to survive, they need to start making them out of a composite of some form of wood product (aside from paper) with a compostable binding agent that doesn't disolve. They would probably feel closer to wood than paper, and would take longer to break down fully, but would be way more widely adopted.

[@jojomaster7675]

Wooden straws would be incredibly expensive, and thus non-reusable. So you might as well use metal or plastic and simply reuse it. The ideal solution is to stop wasting straws. They're unnecessary for most of the things they're used for, so they can simply be removed without issue. And where they are necessary, you can use reusable straws. Both metal and plastic last a while and can be cleaned, thus you can use them many times before throwing them out.

[@Handles_AreStupid]

@@jojomaster7675 You don't understand. I do not mean making a wooden straw, I mean making a "wooden" straw. MDF is a type of "wood" that is made from wood pulp and binding agents. Something similar to that, but with a more advanced (and yet undiscovered) binding agent to achieve thinness. Purely hypothetical... for now.

[@jojomaster7675]

@@Handles_AreStupid Still would be expensive, so my point stands. And making up fantasy materials is not really gonna solve anything. I could go and say ideally we'd discover a biodegradable plastic and make it out of that, and it would be just as realistic of a solution as what you said. Because even if we discover a new, stronger biding agent, chances are it won't be biodegradable. So in the end, you just made a worse version of a metal straw.

[@Handles_AreStupid]

@@jojomaster7675 Producing metal and plastic is also very expensive, that's why we do it in bulk. It's cheaper to spend $500,000 to produce a million than it would be to spend $500 to make 100. The bigger the scale, the cheaper the individual unit becomes. It off-sets R&D and machine costs + wages.

[@jojomaster7675]

@@Handles_AreStupid Your point being? Metal is expensive, yes, but infinitely reusable. Even if it somehow gets damaged, stainless steel is incredibly easy to recycle, and can be recycled infinitely without losing value. Wood materials can't. Even with a fantasy miracle biding agent. Which, odds are would be even more expensive, as making a small, fine pipe out of wood material is much harder than out of steel. So in the end, your miracle biding agent wouldn't solve anything, really. It would just be a more expensive and harder to work with material than stainless steel. It would likely have a taste as well, which well kept steel does not.

[@christopherhicks8107]

My dad doesn't have arms, used plastic straws for the longest time. He's by no means an environmentalist but eventually bought a collapsible metal straw for traveling because of how frustrating paper straws are. They make the drinks taste horrible and he would need to get more than one if they were drinking at the bar. My wife and I ordered milkshakes the other day and they came with paper straws. Have you ever tried to drink something thick with a paper straw? Borderline impossible since a lot of them aren't one solid piece but made like a wrap creating air pockets. Finally, yeah, I think it becomes more silly in the consumer's eyes when they see their tiny paper straw sitting in their huge plastic cups

[@ristekostadinov2820]

Hmm i wonder from what kind of metal is made, i think titanium doesn't ruin the taste (most tooth implants are made from titanium, and there haven't been evidence of ruining taste). If you can find titanium straw it should improve that. Titanium is one of the most biocompatible metals. Bamboo straw is also another option.

[@christopherhicks8107]

@@ristekostadinov2820 the bad taste comment was in reference to the paper straw not the metal

[@ristekostadinov2820]

@@christopherhicks8107 oh sorry i miss read.

[@christopherhicks8107]

@@ristekostadinov2820 no worries, I probably missed punctuation somewhere

[@Tailslol]

Pasta and bamboo straw are better mostly.

[@JeremyPaulStiles]

Glitter, confetti and balloons are far worse. In australia we have replaced most single use plastics with sugercane mulch based items, which can use the same machinery as plastic items with a cheap modification. Also as we produce so much sugarcane the mulch is a waste product that is being reused.

[@rayaldr]

I worked as a materials engineer for one of the new age “compostable” straw companies. It’s very important that people understand that most products claiming compostability are made of PLA which requires an industrial composting facility to break down. Only 3.76% of the US population lives in a county with an industrial composting facility which processes this type of plastic (based of 2016 census information). There are some polymers which will compost in a backyard environment but they are rare to find used in industry due to their high price point relative to PLA. These polymers which do compost in a backyard environment are called PHA’s. They are a natural food source for microbes and thus break down faster than paper in a natural environment.

[@DeepSeaLugia]

if only there was more incentives to open viable composting facilities. Is there any use for the plastic compost? Can it be sold back to farmers in bulk to improve the soil for agriculture?

[@PinkAgaricus]

Also if they are able to be composted with the rest of compost, wouldn't the process start when you put it in some sort of liquid (regardless of its temp)? Thus, making it kind of pointless. I feel like this thought process is what led to PLA (industrially compostable) straws and flatware.

[@HanhNguyen-uk8bc]

Home composting machines are starting to become more accessible. You have the Lomi which claims to be able to compost those types of plastics. Even if you don't, wouldn't you say that it's still better for the environment to use it in place of traditional plastic because it isn't leaching the same chemicals? I know PLA isn't the end all solution but it's a step in the right direction.

[@phuongle6670]

Question: what if I unknowingly put PLA into my compost? Does it just sit there and be inert micrpplastic or can it harm my pile and my plants?

[@rayaldr]

@@phuongle6670 PLA requires 114 degrees Fahrenheit to begin breaking down its hydrogen bonds. This is unlikely to occur in your home compost. It’s also unlikely to harm your plants in any meaningful way. As part of its compostability certification PLA products must pass a germination test. In this test the degraded product is added to soil and seeds. The germination of the terrarium is compared to that of a control. The compostability certification is only given if there is no I’ll effect on germination caused by the product in question.

[@crunchyscorpio9186]

Fun fact, there were straws made out of straw before the whole plastic and paper straws and there are still companies that make them/ grow them. I like to use reed straws because they are quite stable and can be thrown in the compost bin afterwards...

[@htsunmiku]

Dude what 💀 this makes way more sense. I can only imagine there isn't a shift because manufacturers don't like the cost?

[@crunchyscorpio9186]

Well, reed straws are a byproduct more or less. The main thing is reed for roofing. They are also sold seasonally because reed needs time to grow and dry after harvest. I know how many straws I need in a year and do stock up annually. Reed straws are expensive, three times as expensive as paper straws and sometimes there is a grassy aftertaste... natural product what can you do? So it is a very niche product. It works for me cause there are reed-roofed houses here and so it was an easy adjustment but it is not an easy solution for all strawy needs, you need the right reed for that and in those masses we use straws it would not work.... another fun fact McDonalds here has done away with straws altogether and is testing some sippy like cover for all drinks except milkshakes I wonder it that will take off.

[@ShadowKick32]

I bet if fast food places had a "no straw if you don't ask for one", or "no straw by default" policy it would reduce the amount of straws used by a large amount. Even when I ask for no straw, no lid I get one.

[@OrganicWheat]

or do what costco does that you can pop the lid similar to coffee lids that you can drink through

[@Araanor]

A lot of them do that here in Denmark . And if it’s not to go you only get the cup without the lid

[@Max.Paprika]

I carry utensils and straws in a pouch everywhere I go, but so many places just automatically give you plastic straws and forks, even if you ask for them to be excluded, because years of muscle memory is too hard to overcome.

[@piscesgrl0]

McDonald's new cups are designed so that you don't need a straw, and they're not supposed to give you one unless you ask. But the vast majority of the time, they still give you one automatically.

[@JumboWumbo-pc4ts]

but how the hell are you supposed to drink a slurpee without a straw?

[@BrendleBear]

My personal favorite change in response to the plastic straw decline has been wide mouth sippy lids that are now more widely available. Both for ice coffee and the occasional soda, it's my preferred way to drink.

[@unboxing_legend7708]

sippy lids? what like coke cans?

[@huwutao8726]

​@@unboxing_legend7708yes but it pokes out and can be open and closed

[@ExpendableCrumb]

I prefer a straw

[@TheCarlinCoop]

Yea that’s a HUGE NO for me straw lives matter

[@myurei]

agreed, sippy lid supremacy

[@zf8604]

Fishing nets still do more damage to the environment than plastic straws, doesn’t mean we can’t work to reduce their usage but it’s definitely not the biggest plastic/material polluter.

[@FutureProofTV]

Exactly! 😅 Thanks for sharing here 🙏

[@Despoina_Nyx]

Honestly I think the idea of metal reusable and cleaneable straws are better, no need to keep buying new straws and no waste of any kind, even paper straw create, a while short lived, some waste that go to landfields. I just think it's better to have a mentality of having things that can be reused as much as possible. In my house we reuse pretty much anything, groceries bags while not ideal we use for trash bags. Soda bottles we use as personal water bottles, glass bottles we use for things too. Dunno feels like it's far more useful while still being a little enviromentally concious. But at the end of the day what really needs to change is big corporations. The effect we create pale in comparison to them.

[@woodchuck003]

The irony of the fishing net problem is there is a market for used fishing nets as decoration. So when the Chinese fisherman (statistically the a the country that litter the ocean the most) throw out there used nets they are literally growing out money.

[@Despoina_Nyx]

@somad6997 Straws still have some use at least, hospital and disability. I think if people really want them at least it's better to have metal ones

[@michaelking761]

​@@Despoina_Nyxthe problem with reusable straws is that they aren't practical. You need to be able to clean them whether it is metal or silicone and you would need to fully clean them out between uses. It is time consuming and not at all easy to do, especially on a vacation.

[@janninejeleva9866]

Plastic straws became the scapegoat for plastic pollution. They literally went "look over here, we care!" While continuing to produce plastic bottles and everything ese. Personally I have some metal straws that I wash up and the look amazing in cocktails. I think the pressure should be in the producers and sellers of plastic, rather than the consumers. Plastic is convenient, if it's not as available people will just use the alternative. It has also created this terrifying reality where people don't trust reusable items becouse of "sanitary reasons", people were perfectly fine eating from a ceramic plate in a restaurant but now it's more like " who knows who has touched this before???"

[@arraine]

I really appreciate seeing an acknowledgement of how disability and chronic illness impact society's needs for certain products and "conveniences" (read: accommodations). A lot of the things people criticize with "Why does this even exist?! Who actually needs this?!" are for disabled people. I think it would be a great idea to hire a disability consultant for this channel to discuss the accessibility implications of every item you feature, it would be very illuminating!

[@richiehoyt8487]

Being seriously disabled myself, although a newcomer to the channel, I think hiring a disability consultant might be going 'a little far'; not that I see any intrinsic problem with it, as long as the consultancy fee would be affordable. That said, I think *legislators* should be _obliged_ to consult with disability groups when it comes to issues like this; more than one, preferably, as disability groups, no less than any other types of NGO, are riven with (ulterior) special interests, factions, politics, dissenting opinions and so on.

[@arraine]

@@richiehoyt8487 ​ I absolutely agree that legislators should be required to do all of the above! The reason I recommend it for this channel is because Future Proof examines a large number of products and their merits and drawbacks from an environmental and social perspective, and a lot of the time products that are considered superfluous by the masses (and the main creator and the comments section) are hugely important to the well being of myself and others who are disabled. After all, disability is a part of the social perspective. Honestly, I think that most content creators could stand to take a step back and learn about the world from a lens of accessibility, but where environmentalism and products intersect is a huge place where I don't usually see it and would like to see more. Also, a channel of this size can be a one-man band, but sometimes they have multiple staff members, so if they're in the habit of employing people, it's a great choice.

[@greenhowie]

That's definitely the best way to do it. Makes sure the perspective is factual as well - so easy to tip the other way "thinking of others" without actually consulting the people affected.

[@hpnut4ever]

We've got a couple of silicone straws at home and I love using those. They work well for both cold and hot drinks and are easy to clean, plus they come in different colours just for a little somethin'-somethin'. We also have a metal straw that I only really use to break up the ice chunks at the bottom of an iced capp.

[@johnhale3]

Not to mention new studies in the journal Food Additives and Contaminants that reveal that “eco-friendly” paper and bamboo straws may contain hazardous chemicals called PFAS. While used to enhance water and stain resistance in many products, PFAS can persist in the environment and are linked to various health issues.

[@FutureProofTV]

Oooo we've got plenty to talk about PFAS in our upcoming videos about water quality and other household goodies ..... Excited to dive into this subject!

[@johnhale3]

@@FutureProofTV Love it!!!

[@Daniel-yg9sf]

First thing that came to mind, PFAS in paper straws!

[@Valoric]

This is why I stopped using paper straws. They gave things a bizarre taste which could only be unknown additives which will one day be banned

[@trinessdarknemesis8237]

​@@Valoric fun fact : most of these PFAS found in some of these straws are already banned

[@jrdoughty13]

This makes me think of compact florescent bulbs, and how they were the big thing for fixing lights to be greener, but then we got mercury in our water, and it turned out that while they lasted longer than normal incandescent bulbs, they also dimmed over time, meaning you'd need more of them

[@Count_Smackula]

I'm old enough to have survived the original transition to plastic straws and then back to paper. If memory serves, in the first iteration of paper straws, the best were made of a waxed paper & therefore survived its intended use. "Cheaper" restaurants used unwaxed paper straws (because cheaper - duh) that didn't survive until the end of the meal. YMMV

[@kitefan1]

I agree, the last generation of old paper straws may have been plastic coated, as were the milk/OJ cartons, but the earlier ones were wax coated. Paper straws were one of my favorite playthings as a six year old. Part of the issue is also the diameter. You need a bigger diameter for a shake than a soda. A few weeks ago I had a nice paper straw somewhere. I wonder also about the quality of the paper. The ancient paper bags of that era were made of more dense and thicker paper. Maybe the straws were also. I remember particularly about the milk cartons because we used to make candles in them and the plastic coated milk cartons were bad news for that.

[@unboxing_legend7708]

no you said it your self. cheaper resturants. cheaper resturants tend to fork out on cheaper products because they simply dont have the money to fork out on something better for the customer. just because a mcdonalds resturant is labeled mcdonalds, it doesnt mean that this particular store is going to be top notch, it depends on the location, the size of the resturant they own and who works their and the standards they keep up with. ive seen mcdonalds stores before in which are very piss poor all around while the one nearest me thrives. the one i go to is of mostly great quality. they even have a cleaner going around the resturant constantly cleaning those self buying machine things, the IPADS they have installed for kids at some tables, cleaning the seats and all that as well and even the seating area at the windows where u sit on stools that are high up looking out the resturant while eating and chatting. food almost always comes hot and drinks almost always comes cold even with deliveries. the milkshake/mcflurry machine is usually only on during specific hours of the day instead of randomly being down like other mcdonald places and just a great environment to be in.

[@natashalussier6413]

Yep, the problem wasn't the straws themselves, but the whole disposable one-use world we are in. But noooooo.... the straw was so much easier to put the real problem on the back burner, again.

[@GGBeyond]

I always thought the best way to reduce the amount of waste from straws was for restaurants to only provide straws on request. A lot of us really don't care if we have a straw or not, so we just won't bother with it. And then anyone who absolutely wants to use a straw can just ask for one. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, in that order.

[@Heresor]

In Germany the straws are wrapped in paper in a tray and you take one if you need it

[@outrowed]

In Indonesian, there is no straw at all, most restaurant in here just expect you to drink straight from the cup

[@juanrocky8147]

​@@outrowedeven milkshakes?

[@UltimatePerfection]

@@juanrocky8147 You should try drinking a milkshake without a straw. It tastes so much better without it, no matter what kind of straw you'd use.

[@unboxing_legend7708]

i dont think its an enforcement for resturants to do however they do still need to follow health and safety regulations laws and more which is why they likely still do it regardless. i worked as a food and beverage assistant so this was something i had to play close attention to all the time, however in this case it wasnt with cup lids and straws but guest requests, food allergies in all foods, making sure every food item that hasnt got a lable was labeled with the food allergies they contain thats above 1% otherwise it doesnt have to be labeled, and we even did e learning on something called natasha's law. in summery of natasha's law, a law was made after, i think 15 yr old girl named natasha in which died to a food related allergy in a cafe store because a muffin made in the store, was sold unpackaged, un labeled and there wasnt a law at the time that required food made within the store such as baked food to be labeled with allergies. natasha was apparently unaware of her allergy to yeast before she had whatever it was and she passed away due to the allergy. overtime the law was passed on and made to crack down on loopholes within the food industry to have correctly labeled food, for health and safety requirements to be met and for the people who serve you to show and or have the correct knowledge of the food products and their allergies if not on the menu or any other form of way. failing to get it right now, and causing a person a allergic reactive problem can result in i think a 23 yr imprisonment however im likely wrong here.

[@cleaterose5914]

I'm old enough to remember drinking from paper straws before there were plastic ones. The paper was coated with a wax to extend their useful life and the adhesive was water proof, they didn't come apart at the seams.

[@chrystajefferies7950]

I ended buying stainless steel straws when I moved out of my parents house to try and reduce the amount of regular straws I use. And I kinda ended up realizing that I just don't use straws very often? It was weird because I look into my drawer to grab a fork or something and see them and I kinda wonder to myself when the last time I even used a straw was.

[@Sajirah]

@@frankthefkintankSame here. I’ve noticed that I’ll drink more fluids if I use straws (I’m chronically dehydrated) so I bought a bunch of steel ones.

[@proxytag]

I keep one in my bag and use it in fast food places instead of the paper ones they give with their drinks, or I'll just drink out of the glass if it's a nicer place

[@chrystajefferies7950]

@@proxytag I honestly would love to do this but I'm always so forgetful that I think it would stay in my bag for months without being used. But this is a great idea regardless.

[@GamesFromSpace]

My face sucks just fine, straws are just silly if you don't need one.

[@ofirdavid3728]

I think that one of the potentially overlooked benefits to straws is that if you drink drinks that are bad for your teeth like coffee and pop drinks it could reduce the damage to the teeth by reducing the contact between the drink and the teeth

[@JennaGetsCreative]

An important note on plastic vs paper straws for bedridden people is that bendable straws that stay posed the way you bent them are far superior in plastic, if you can even find a bendy paper straw at all. A straight straw requires odd angles and either some mobility from the drinker or a second person to hold the drink. A bendy straw in a drink beside a person laying down can be used by that person without assistance or movement. My kid strongly prefers to drink with a straw and for a long time we were buying big party packs of plastic straws at the dollar store for her, but then the dollar store switched to selling paper straws and the grocery store has bought into pasta straws. It was time to buy reusable straws. The choice was plastic or metal. Giving metal tubes to a small child is a bad idea, so plastic it is. Well now I have a whole bunch of narrow plastic tubes that I have to wash by hand, because they're not dishwasher safe, and it's getting harder and harder to get the pipe cleaner in there every wash because she chews on them and deforms the openings.

[@enialeeee]

My niece's visit and stay in our house just renewed my hatred for paper straws. She's 3 years old, and she loves drinking milk drinks in packs when traveling, so we bought a lot of it. She always had a hard time with the packs because they now use paper straws, which bends so easily it can't pierce the hole in the pack. Yes, even with a teeny child's strength, it bends too easy. It was frustrating watching her get annoyed at the straws 😅

[@FutureProofTV]

Oooooh my goodness this sounds adorably frustrating 😢

[@enialeeee]

​​@@FutureProofTV​ It was yes 😂 She loves being independent so she always tries first before asking for help, but in this she always fails since she still can't gauge how much strength to use. It's adorable seeing her face scrunch up, but I also feel for her 😂

[@shakeyj4523]

I don't understand this. I grew up on paper straws, and there was never an issue with them. Just get her a sippy cup and put the drinks in that while traveling. This really isn't that hard.

[@richiehoyt8487]

​@@shakeyj4523 At home, maybe not, but when travelling, a sippy - cup is hardly a viable solution for milk based drinks - you know, washing up and all that? I can see 'getting away with it' for 'soda - pop' type drinks, especially if sugar free, but a plastic cup used over and over for milk drinks is going to get pretty 'grodey' before long, especially if it's in the environment of a hot car. Besides, unless one leads a *literally* nomadic life - style, is it _really_ going to be the end of the world if a family uses disposable straws for a week or two, maybe, out of every year, especially when the cartons are (pretty much of necessity) going to be child~sized and 'disposable' _anyway?_ Although the cartons are to a 99% certainty going to be, in fact, recyclable, if one is _really_ worried about it. Would washing up even be _viable_ while travelling? Add in heating the water, using detergents, etc, how much net benefit to the environment would there _be,_ even? Another issue, while I'm not a proponent of treating children as coddled little princes and princesses, as is the current fashion, I could imagine a child aged, say, 4 - 6 seeing the use of a sippy - cup as an enforced regression to 'baby'~hood, and rebelling (I would sympathize!) - causing problems that would unnecessarily add to the stresses already inherent in a road - trip, flying, taking a ferry or whatever. All in all, sounds hard enough to _me..._

[@shakeyj4523]

@@richiehoyt8487 You are joking right? You have to be because your comment is profoundly silly.

[@YungStinkyWinky]

Great video as always! On a totally unrelated note, I passed by you (with my husband, who is also named Levi lol) on Main St on the weekend, and for a brief moment, my heart melted like a paper straw in a frappuccino. Still jarring to see people we only ever see on the internet out in the real world. So hi Levi :P That's all lmao keep up the great work folks

[@adamwemp3911]

Fun fact: the glue used in paper straws isn't gluten free either!

[@davidparsons97]

That's because it's cheaper and "safer" than standard glue.

[@victormontes7007]

Nor is it vegan

[@GarfieldRex]

1. Companies should make stronger plastics that can be reused, washed and put to the public. Easy to wash and durable plastics, like 3D glasses at some cinemas. 2. What kind of trees are used for these paper items? What time they take for growing?

[@Frag-ile]

I personally remember when paper bags were branded an environmental disaster and the social engineering campaign heralding plastic bags as the savior of our planet. The punishing fees added to paper bags back then are still there by the way and have only been joined by new punishing extra fees on the plastic bags. All bags are now more expensive than they needed to be. Been using a backpack since the mid 90s even though all stores also try to reprimand you for bringing your own bags.

[@TehAwesomer]

Never, ever had a store "reprimand me for bringing my own bags" despite doing so at every trip for decades ... this is something that happens to you... frequently?

[@Frag-ile]

@@TehAwesomer Not frequently, but for past few decades stores have had sings at entrance either strictly forbidding bringing your own bags or demanding cashiers be allowed to look into them. These days that has lessened, but many stores still do have some sort of signage that discourages bringing bags onto the premises. Though that is not the case in my area I do hear about stores in the US and UK adopting some bag search policies as of late.

[@TehAwesomer]

@@Frag-ileAh, I see. Yeah, bringing a backpack or large purse/handbag which already has stuff in it is definitely discouraged in some kinds of stores. I was thinking of the grocery case, where I bring empty "tote" style grocery bags and have never had anyone question me doing so. Thanks for the nice response!

[@youtubelu622]

Pretty much any store selling non-necessities (AKA stores that would be in a mall) see bringing your own bags as an attempt at theft. I have regularly been asked to leave my bags behind the cash register while I shop.

[@unboxing_legend7708]

bags are expensive due to the recession, its mostly an unrelated issue. its a way to scrape just a bit more money overtime. once one store did it, everyone else pretty much followed depending on how desperate they were and their marketing strategy for each store. take this as an example: my local co-op which isnt under the name of co-op but works with that company sells my favourite energy drinks and quite alot of them in the store, in the store, these energy drinks vary in price depending on which colour and if its caffinated, some range from £1.35 some up to £1.79 per can. this also accounts for size btw. now i can go into a corner store that sells the exact same energy drinks in the store however these are all priced at £1.00 despite on the cans specifically being labeled at the price they should be sold for. its because its a marketing strategy. when u go to alot of corner stores that arnt these big brands, u can usually get away with buying them underage and they not asking you for ID. its a marketing strategy though because of the fact that they know that it adhears to the younger kids rather than most adults and compared to a large corperation that run stores around the globe, a measly corner store can get away with cheapening prices because it means that people will buy more from them and will seep more money into them overtime for them to grow bigger.

[@kemsatofficial]

Paper straws feel so absolutely disgusting. No thank you. Haiku.

[@mktemple476]

I never stopped using them. Not long after I saw that video, I saw a news report talking about how small a percentage of the waste in the ocean they actually were, and that the biggest source of the problem was the fishing industry. (Yeah, I'm one of those who's sick of being asked to be inconvenienced on an individual level while nothing is being done on an industrial level.)

[@glori3051]

I'm exactly like you. There are no plastic disposable straws to be found anymore in my country. At home I have a few kind of glass/plastic non disposable (washable) ones and plastic disposable ones I bring from abroad when traveling. Funny thing is that even the disposable one I sometimes use for 2 or 3 drinks throughout the day if not more. With paper straws I could never do that. They're the worst waste I can imagine in the sense of uselessness. On a individual level I'm actually never having kids. Putting a human on the planet is very wasteful. So whenever people come and complain that I use plastic straws I tell them first I'm allowed since it doesn't matter anyways because of all the pollution when I fly. And then people complain that I fly I tell them allowed since I'm not putting another human on the planet. 😂 and also I work in aviation and have worked in human rights since for ever and every single day I learn again and again that what I do individually is more about me being able to show of to others rather than actually having any impact.

[@NiSE_Rafter]

I'm in your boat. It's insane how much pollution comes from big industry and how little difference small changes like plastic straws can make. If anything we need to decrease wasteful consumerism but people these days are too conceited to do that. Stacy needs her weekly new clothing item that she'll only wear once or twice then throw away.

[@markcathpelueta5954]

a guy just being himself while doing a vlog is a breath of fresh air. Thank you Levi! you're if not the best, one of the best hosts out there😁

[@yukii8818]

This isn’t a vlog, it’s a video essay

[@FeelinTangerine]

I try to always carry my reusable straws. Half are metal & the other half are glass. Ive dropped the glass ones countless times & they've never cracked, chipped or shattered. Ive given reusable straws to friends/family as gifts with the card saying: You suck & this is the last straw!.

[@uriahthehittite1672]

I just saved a few plastic straws and reuse them. Easy and way less expensive than the metal or silicone ones. If you are going to reuse straws anyway, just reuse plastice ones.

[@karolinakuc4783]

​​@@uriahthehittite1672Silicone are also plastic, Sherlock

[@Max.Paprika]

But not all plastic is silicone. Not that either fact diminishes the point. Plastic straws are already everywhere, so it's easy to just keep one you've already got and stop using more of them.

[@mahbuddykeith1124]

Just say you used your crack pipe to suck up a milkshake, bro.

[@StarlightNkyra]

Everyone, please reuse your plastic instead of throwing it away and putting a mislabel on the problem when you see a turtle with a straw in its nose. It isn't because plastic is necessarily bad, it's because corporations are negligent with products you recycle and you keep throwing it away. Corporations and their actions are the real problem, but in the meantime, Reuse your plastic, there are a lot of intresting and fun things you can do with it, you just have to either use it again or be creative with it. For example, you could use a plastic bottle as a cog of sorts, a bag could be used to create a form of protection from the sun, or you could do some cool stuff by hanging it on somthing, plastic containers can be used as a strong base or a stepping stool, or just being reused for its purpose. Plastic straws can be used as a funnel or to connect to other parts in whatever project you're doing. Heck, even broken products can still be cut up, rearranged, and glued to create something new. Those are some examples to give some ideas in the meantime, so we can reduce waste as much as possible without having to boycott, and protest. I am almost positive it will happen at some point to cause systemic change, it's just that the number of people knowledgeable about it and willing to do it isn't high enough yet.

[@finlaymcewan]

I studied product design at university and I remember my tutor saying that the energy required to manufacture a straw is less than the energy it takes to move your car from one side of the drive-thru to the other. It really shows how susceptible we are to fixating on the wrong problems

[@Ervinabrahamian]

Are you one of those annoying oil protest "people" who block the road for attention?

[@towerofhelluse1]

​@@ErvinabrahamianBro why would you assume that💀?

[@mallardofmodernia8092]

Your point? Its a straw vs a car of fucking course the car would consume more energy in its scenario. Glad you're in product design and not chemistry.

[@nicolelin9543]

Well, the problem isn't how much energy it takes to manufacture a straw, it's how long it takes for that straw to fully decompose.

[@shadycnetwork]

​@@nicolelin9543I've seen idiotic tree-hugging hippies actually defend the paper straws. It should have never been put out to the public. The one job of a product is to do what it's supposed to do and the paper straws disintegrate before you finish.

[@RavarsenBlogspot]

It's ultimately the consumer that choose to use a product in spite of the consequences to the environment

[@Loveless100]

I've noticed a good percentage of drinks I order come with those lids that look like the ones that used to be more for hot drinks. That seems a lot more intuitive, but I've also noticed that the plastic for those seems to be getting a lot thicker and harder plastic-y than the ones that adorn my hot tea. From a LCA perspective, I wonder how that compares to the original lid and straw pair...

[@FutureProofTV]

It's a whooole nother conversation but plant based plastics are popping up more and more too... seems like coming up with more "solutions" to the disposables problem isn't all that helpful ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

[@possiblyzslot838]

I keep stainless steel straws at home (the ones just big enough for tapioca pearls in bubble tea) and I think restaurants could certainly serve drinks that normally come with straws. The heat transfer really doesn't heat the straw enough to hurt your fingers unless the drink is scalding hot, but in that case you'd probably be waiting for it to cool down anyways, and how often do you use plastic straws for super hot drinks? They're easy to clean too so it would be a decent solution for those who frequently use straws and would reuse them if they didn't degrade over time and were easy to clean. Obviously for single-use purposes like juice cartons, plastic is still the better option but that style of drink container is kinda getting outdated considering reusable bottles and literally any other alternative exists.

[@YujiUedaFan]

I use single-use plastic bottles all the time, but only because I can't stand still water and only like carbonated water. If only there was a fizzy water trap...

[@jojomaster7675]

I keep plastic straws at home and reuse them. It's honestly not that hard, and they last a while.

[@ReyOfLight]

People with disabilities who rely on straws to more safely consume beverages, drink coffee and tea just like others and they mau want their coffee or tea just as hot as anyone else. Theres NO replacement straw that is as versatile and safe to use as a plastic straw is. Metal gets too hot when drinking hot beverages and should someone have a sudden spasm or seizure just as they're about to take a sip, a metal (or glass or hard plastic) straw could potentially cause severe injury because they're hard materials that doesn't give way, unlike the single use plastic straw that give way along with being adjustable to fit different cups and different needs. Bendable single use plastic straws saves lives and a lot of people rely on those straws! Paper straws are both nasty, bad for the environment and unsafe. They lose their structural integrity too fast and them dissolving so fast could become a choking hazars as pieces of the straw could simply come off, even more so in hot beverages

[@ReyOfLight]

​@@YujiUedaFanGet yourself a Sodastream, then you can carbonate water yourself (and flavor it if wanting to) and the bottles are good for years unless you outright break them (like dropping, bumping etc that could impact the integrity). I bought myself a Sodastream earlier this year, March I think, as I don't do well with still water and got tired of carrying home soda bottles all the time. I now make my own Pepsi Max at home and unless my bottles break, they're good until 2025 (Yes, the plastic bottles at least for Sodastream does have a best before date, it's for safety reasons as plastic becomes more brittle over time and the pressure inside the bottle gets pretty high when you carbonate the water. If ignoring the date on the bottle, you could be at an increased risk of having a bottle explode on you)

[@jojomaster7675]

@@ReyOfLight I mean, metal straws don't actually get hot that quick if they're thick and long enough. If a beverage is hot enough to heat up a metal straw to uncomfortable levels fast enough before the liquid cools, then chances are you shouldn't be drinking such a beverage, as doing so will burn your throat. And chances are that cheap, single use plastic might start to give way and melt at such tempatures. So in reality, there is no straw that's perfect for hot drinks.

[@Eyeclops_]

Some fast food restaurants went full plastic cup and handed paper straws over with the drink, which strikes me arguably the worst combination? Like, wait a minute, you can't just replace the straw and go "Now we can use way more plastic on the cup!" ... can you?

[@FutureProofTV]

It's so performative!!!

[@jurgor8661]

Did you know according to some research from a co2 product life cycle perspective disposable drink cups cause less global warming than a regular coffee cup that has to be washed by the establishment. No idea if that research is correct but I am just trying to say that things aren't often as clear cut as they seem on the surface.

[@xungnham1388]

In theory, the full plastic cup is made of a recyclable type of plastic, whereas a plastic lined paper cup is a mixed plastic/paper product that isn't recyclable. Not that most fast food restaurants have recycle bins or anything...but technically, the full plastic cup could be more sustainable...

[@daphne4407]

⁠well a non biodegradable and non recyclable plastic lined paper cup is just as performative, except it can't be made better by systemic change (aka more recycling plants)

[@xungnham1388]

@somad6997 I already acknowledged that plastic recycling isn't perfect. You've added nothing that I didn't mention. I'll point out that the recycling rate of type 1 plastic cups is greater than 0, whatever circumstances that need to occur for that to happen (someone takes the cup to-go, happens to live in a munipicality setup to recycle type 1, whoever is running recycling finds a buyer that week, etc). The option of a mixed paper/plastic lined cup has a recyclablity of literally 0%. The plastic cup, whether it has a 50%, 5%, or 0.5% rate of recycling, it is absolutely greater than 0%. The choice is obvious which one is worse.

[@clydeds123]

In India, we do use paper straws since one time plastic is banned in some states. It is very sturdy and works great.

[@Hybridog]

Costco offers compostable straws for customers at their food counter. I've used them a couple times and they look, feel and behave just like plastic straws. They also break down quickly in my compost bin. Seems to me there's no real point to paper straws if a better alternative exists.

[@guacamojo]

compostable "plastic" could be a godsend but we playin

[@Hybridog]

I recently learned that for something to be called compostable, it has to break down in a similar way to cellulose and must not leave anything behind that is harmful or undesireable. Things that are called biodegradable don't have any standards to meet and thus break down into things that we don't want. These compostable straws are not petrochemical plastic and break down into stuff that is useful to a compost. @@guacamojo

[@RaisonLychi]

But you can eat the paper straw after....

[@Furluge]

Those straws also cost orders of magnitude more than plastic straws. And there's enough landfill space to store all the plastic waste ever until the end of time. The straws are literally just a stunt.

[@nzoomed]

The early paper straws were better that predate myself, but they were made from waxed paper, the new ones are more of a cardboard and got some sort of plastic liner anyway. They are horrible

[@HülyeLó]

What's mind-blowing to me is how fast this trend swept across the globe. It proves that worldwide consensus can be made, and big corporations can change their practices swiftly and effectively... as long as the risk is minimal

[@leifmeadows3782]

I have been enjoying my glass straw since before it was popular. People used to think I was pulling out a crack pipe at restaurants. I want to reduce straw waste, but I NEED a straw for most beverages because I have almost no tooth enamel and drinking iced coffee (or hot coffee for that matter but I prefer iced coffee) is painful without one. It's hard for me to carry around a reusable coffee cup, but a glass straw is small and easy to carry. It felt like the one thing I could do. Except now it feels like this is synonymous with "thinks no one else should use plastic straws." And honestly I feel like we could use a lot less but if other people want or need them I don't judge them for it.

[@Peter2k84]

The best alternatives I've seen were simply thicker bucatini (think spaghetti like a tube), or straws made out of a mix of apple seeds n some other filler (forgot what the shop owner said, guessing some more noodle dough to keep it glued together) The first one would be too brittle for commercial packaging (maybe usable in fast food busines though), the latter were quite sturdy, though. The noodle variant should be quite inexpensive in big volumes. But also loving how paper straws are protected by plastic foil and comes with plastic cups or other packaging with loads of plastics.

[@FutureProofTV]

Hahahaha love the idea of everybody drinking some Starbucks fraps out of the bucattini....

[@dawnp8095]

As a person allergic to both wheat and apples, this terrifies me. More reason to carry your own straw if you need them.

[@crash.override]

Among the alternative straw materials, the agave fiber ones are my fave. They actually survive extended contact with liquids.

[@SomeRandomPiggo]

Wouldn't it add a taste to your drink though?

[@DragoNate]

some people are allergic to silicone as well, so that's another negative for it as a mass-scale where every fast food place gives you one every time you order.

[@curtfehr]

On shopping bags, I wish there was a bag return program to make it easier to get a bag when you need, and easier to make sure they get maximum reuse. Those reusable bags aught to all be laundry safe.

[@blackmber]

I like that idea. You could use a deposit system to encourage customers to bring the bags back; ex it costs $1, but if you return the bag you get $1 back. It’s so frustrating when you forget bags and have to either carry everything in your hands, or buy brand new “cloth” bags that are made of plastic, even though you already have 75 at home.

[@marcmoomaw4781]

Almost every grocery store has a bag recycling bin. But people just don't use them.

[@Furluge]

@@marcmoomaw4781 It doesn't really matter because recycling anything other than metal is a waste of resources. You create more waste than you get back. It's very simple to figure out. People will gladly pay you for your metal scrap. Your plastic and paper you have to pay them to take.

[@YujiUedaFan]

@@Furluge I find plastic bags the best for bathroom bins TBH, so reusing them for that is better than nothing IG.

[@thepeakfreak]

Personally, I think carrying 1 straight and 1 bent METAL straw (which I do) seems like a better option, both for myself and as an added bonus, for the environment. Whenever I get a drink, I just whip them out and use it.

[@ToxNano]

That metal straw likely took more energy to produce then all plastic straws you might use in a lifetime combined.

[@amyg386]

This reminds me of those super loud chip bags from a while back. Even though they were plastic free (I think?), the user experience was so bad, they stopped making them

[@ahha6304]

I find many known disabled friends resent the paper straw, said that it's impractical, harder to control, destroyed before finishing the drink and even dirty problems. I even once carried a lot of strong plastic straws (in level of collecting them) jut to avoid the paper ones. Until they realised that it's bad for their company and now using some more (insert 2 fingers on each hand) "bio-polymer" and then I stopped carrying straw indefinitely.

[@DanielleWhite]

The matter reminded me of a focus on chemical pollution of waterways decades ago which became popularly about non-point sources like homeowner misuse of chemicals (fertilizer and pesticides) on their lawns and small farms over applying but the personnel engaged in enforcement were far more often seeing point-sources from corporate properties.

[@shaoronmd]

no... the paper straw doesn't suck... and that's the main problem. whenever I get one, I call it "the straw of disappointment"

[@Jason608]

My family and I use reusable plastic straws at home. Sure, it's still made of plastic, but I'm not throwing it away after every use. Each one has probably seen 300+ reuses over the last few years.

[@StarWarsExpert_]

First Video I saw from your channel. Gonna watch "How America got ADDICTED to Lawns" next. Just wanted to tell you, I like your editing style and interesting that your name is Levi. Reminds me of the character with the same name from Attack on Titan. I don't know if you watched that. But now that I think about it, Eren and the rumbling might have saved the planet from so much future waste that was and would have been produced by humans in the industrial age. . . I really hope we will find a way to change our system and recycle a lot more. This is a very important topic and I've participated in a cooperation between Germany and Israel. We were in Groups and worked on different topics regarding climate change. Our group's topic was food packaging in our area and we had multiple suggestions that we delivered at the end. Would appreciate a reply from you, Levi! :)

[@StarWarsExpert_]

when you make a long comment, but no one replies :(

[@heronimousbrapson863]

When I was a kid in the 1950's amd 60's, paper straws were the norm; I never saw a plastic straw until I was 12. They worked fine; I think plastic straws replaced them due to the increasing cost of paper (although I can't say for certain).

[@baronvonlimbourgh1716]

Nowdays the paper straws are just as good as the old plastic ones. It just took a bit of time to perfect them. I don't know anybody who still complains about them.

[@EmmisonMike]

I use metal straws at home. I dunno what the cultural impact is, but I really don't have a problem with the sensory experience (they have silicon tips also). My worry is that the straw thing comes from buying drinks while out and about, and while I've done this from time to time as well, It's really not the default for me anymore. Like yeah, people buy plastic straws for their drinks made at home, but that preference is fostered through getting a nice little coca cola from the mcdonalds when said people are quite little. I think the convo about plastic straws really eventually gets lumped into whether we should buy ready-made food and drink as often as we do. We can try to make a guilty pleasure less guilty through enormous market pressures or we can figure out how to just do things ourselves more often. The latter won't save the world, and it's irresponsible for companies to market their services as well as place the burden of guilt on their customers, but it is something individuals can do today and ultimately more easily.

[@MrMccarthycdxx]

They came up with the simplest solution they could to one of the most complicated problems we have created. This is why we are taught as kids to strife for more than the bare minimum.

[@16Demons]

If I'm remembering correctly paper straws have gluten in them as well my friend who is gluten free had said something about it. Being part of the adhesive or whatever that makes it not. So I'm pretty sure pasta isn't the only thing that isn't gluten free that you can drink through. 😊

[@Creative_YT]

“Hmm… how about something to do with paper?” “But paper gets all soggy with liquid.” “I’ve got it! Paper straws!” “But the liquid would make contact with the-“ “Yeah yeah yeah! Paper straws! Write that down.”

[@maverickiragulfan4434]

Just make my cup paper and my straw plastic it's that simple

[@FutureProofTV]

Now we're talking hahahaha

[@hugodamiao]

I don't think it's that simple

[@matt45540]

The problem is pollution. If you take paper and plastic and they both get disposed in a landfill the plastics technically greener. But people take zero responsibility for their waste.

[@cs8712]

a "paper" cup is actually paper coated in plastic

[@INeedsMoneys]

Nobody wants a paper cup…

[@codeman463]

🎶 No. I don’t want no straws. A straw is a tool that can’t get no love from me. 🎶

[@MrTuffarts]

Paper straws were fine in the 70's and 80's they were waxed and waterprof, don't know what they are thinking with soluable straws.

[@FutureProofTV]

Would be interested in seeing a comparison between these items!

[@exosproudmamabear558]

Yeah I still dont understand why didnt wax it with an edible wax type.

[@rifter0x0000]

No one ever asked why the solid waste companies we pay to properly dispose of these straws were dumping them into the ocean. Not a single one was even investigated. We just went right to individual consumers needing to change what they do because we're not going to make corporations do what they are supposed to do.

[@lover12112]

All of those cons to the alternative straws make me realize i don't use straws in hot drinks, nor do i think I've ever been offered a straw for a hot drink.

[@jeanneobbard]

I was always told never to use a straw in a hot drink; it's a cold-drink-only kind of tool.

[@kitefan1]

You can badly scorch the inside of your mouth and maybe even down your throat with a straw in a hot drink.

[@lover12112]

​@kitefan1 My thoughts exactly, you don't have the same control like sipping from a cup.

[@CatsLilaSalem]

The local Ikea uses Bamboo for years, that works great. I do use the steel ones in house for some cold drinks with high acid, so it does not go through the teeth. Like lemon juice, i do not really drink soda

[@FinlayDaG33k]

Wasn't there also some research that came out that concluded most paper straws contained relatively high quantities of PFAS? You know, that stuff we banned because they bioaccumulate and can cause a lot of nasty stuff? :^)

[@paulw858]

I just looked this up and while it's true, the fact is that PFAS is kind of unavoidable and found everywhere.

[@driverat8s]

I found that a paper straw collapses when trying to drink a milkshake. I keep stainless steel straws in my glovebox, just in case.

[@K4ZA]

The "perfect" alternative to both plastic and paper straws is, in my mind, the bamboo fibre straws. A lot of bubble tea shops around my area use them. They don't dissolve like paper straws but are compostable unlike plastic straws. Guess the only problem is probably price, but I can't imagine them to be sooo expensive

[@YujiUedaFan]

Metal straws are cheaper and the best option if you don't drink anything hot.

[@theuncalledfor]

@@YujiUedaFan Why would you drink something hot out of a straw? You're gonna burn your mouth that way.

[@YujiUedaFan]

@@theuncalledfor I don't, I was just saying it in case they did.

[@theuncalledfor]

@@YujiUedaFan Take it as a general point, then. If the beverage is too hot for a metal straw to be safe to touch, it's too hot to drink from a straw at all. Let it cool, or sip it (thus cooling it while transporting it into your mouth). Metal straws are as good for hot beverages as a straw can be.

[@MarieAnne.]

@@theuncalledfor I think silicone straws work for hot liquids.

[@thecapone45]

This is so valid. 😅 I remember being in school and just colloquially, people would say to use less paper to “save a tree”. To not waste so much paper because we were hurting the Amazon. So when around 10 years ago I started seeing people prefer to use paper alternatives to plastic, I was puzzled. I mean people would say to use paper straws to save the turtles, but when you cut down trees, you also remove the life it was sustaining. It just didn’t make sense to me.

[@tashokukisune]

Honestly, the solution is metal straws with silicone mouthpieces. If you haven't seen those, they allow you to use metal straws in ways that won't chip your teeth and are safe for hot contact. They're both reusable and durable and silicone is biodegradable while the steel should be recyclable. Though, honestly, most steel straws could last nearly a lifetime if maintained (ie, not left sitting in acidic dishwater with spaghetti sauce or lemonade). There are different types of mouthpieces from just a tube that fits over to ones that are tapered and easier to grip for people with motor challenges.

[@SkigBiggler]

Odd. Paper straws are fairly common here and I’ve not heard much commiserating about them. They work pretty well really, but I guess it depends on region?

[@StarWarsExpert_]

My experience with Paper Straws has been quite different from what you presented. I used to drink my hot choclate almost every morning with a plastic straw, but a few years ago that changed to paper straws. However, the paper straws that I use never break up. I do not drink at McDonalds, so I do not use these cheaply made paper straws. Overall, I think the quality of paper straws depends on where you get them from and if you use them in that circle lid, they tend to break easier. Mc Donalds is not a good example of paper straws. But I do agree with you on the fact that, paper straws are also not sustainable. Both types of straws, plastic and paper, are not Future Proof, hahahaha. Seriously, we need a better solution.

[@mollitow1323]

I prefer cardboard, I always hate seeing dirty plastic straws thrown on the ground, with cardboard it is easy to solve, the idiots who throw it on the ground no longer matter because it will still break easily after rain.

[@StarWarsExpert_]

@@mollitow1323 Thanks for your response! I agree with you, cardboard and paper decompose much faster.

[@uumlau]

"here are no solutions, there are only trade-offs; and you try to get the best trade-off you can get, that's all you can hope for." - Thomas Sowell

[@amish995]

Not to mention that restaurant chains completely eliminating straws for everyone is probably great for their bottom line, while also being able to say “it’s for the environment”

[@jerrymiller9039]

I am not sure that pissing off your customer base is good for the bottom line.

[@xungnham1388]

@@jerrymiller9039 I'm not sure why you would be pissed off about not receiving a straw with your drink. I assume you're not disabled and have mastered the skill of drinking out of a cup/glass. Let me ask you this, do you use straws at home? If not, why do you need them at a restaurant. If you do use them at home...uh why? It pisses me off when drinks come with straws or the waiter throws down a bunch of straws without asking if I wanted them.

[@jerrymiller9039]

We use roughly 500 million straws in the US each day. If people did not like them they would not be used in massive numbers.@@xungnham1388

[@rafaelperalta1676]

I still remember getting frustrated at the pathetic sight of a wet, soggy paper straw. The drinks outlast the straws, and they couldn't do their sucking job anymore. 😑

[@music_YT2023]

After I had my braces removed, I experienced oversensitivity to temperatures in my front teeth, so straws are absolutely necessary. But the solution to self-sustainability that worked for me: reusable plastic and metal straws! I just carry straw if I need to go out and about and clean them out with a narrow scrubby brush when I do dishes.

[@TrashTrackers]

I think the goal should be to make recyclable plastic straws. Ideally, more people would be using resumable products in everyday life, but restaurants need to use some sort of straw that works. I'm actually pretty impressed with what Starbucks did with the integrated cup lid that is recyclable

[@AZunon]

I clicked on this thinking “how bad could an optional choice get?” I am quite surprised. People actually still use straws outside of hospitals is my only real takeaway.

[@YujiUedaFan]

They're good for sensitive teeth and I honestly hate getting my lips all over the rim on a restaurant cup.

[@aurorav.1919]

They’re also great for people like me who can’t hold multiple things in their head without short circuiting. Having to hold a glass, tip it, deal with the ice… every individual piece gets hyper focused on; throw a conversation or work in to that mix and I spill or drop cups constantly. Keeping the glass or cup on the table and using a straw is how I stay relatively clean during a day. Or one of them. Just the other day I came home. My roommate was outside. She asked me to do a thing and in order for my brain to switch gears from what I was holding in my hands to me thinking about going up the stairs to get the thing, I dropped everything in my hands, including the cup, I had, and it shattered. Straws for general people don’t seem that big of a deal and I get that but they are in necessity outside of hospitals for some of us just to make day-to-day living a little bit easier. My collection of various sized metal ones go everywhere with me when I travel and I’ve a couple in my bag for restaurants and the office. So yes. Some of us do use them

[@MatthewJBD]

I read that someone tripped whilst drinking through a mental straw and it went through their eye when the fell.

[@jeremymoshe9148]

I think your final takeaway is an important biproduct of the paper straw; lots of people are realizing they are better off just going strawless, because unless you are bedridden you don't actually NEED a straw

[@davidfrischknecht8261]

I need straws to keep ice cubes away from my teeth.

[@marcop.525]

​@@davidfrischknecht8261i need straws to take the ice cubes out of the glass 😂

[@Afterburn7]

Plastic straw debacle is bullshit and i could debate anyone on this confidently. Anyone who thinks that they are saving the planet by eliminating plastic straws is a fucking moron 😂😂😂😂.

[@Furluge]

Sensodyne sells around $196.7 million in sales. Everyone of of those people is going to probably suffer from tooth pain without using a straw. I know because I used to have that exact problem before I started using it. Straws can also make it easier to swallow pills.

[@iamhungey12345]

I need straw to avoid gulping down the drink too quickly and risk having some going into my windpipe.

[@Zeelian]

I have sensitive teeth so I hate that I can't get good old plastic straws anymore. Never even bother with the paper ones. Instead I bulk bought plastic ones before they went away, and then once the options improved invested in a metal straw and silicone tips to give a soft, temperature neutral, tip for my teeth ( and putting a smaller piece at the bottom so they don't keep scratching against the glass).

[@SPFboy86]

I think the issue was that people used plastic straws once and threw it away. It is not too difficult to wash it straight after use to avoid bacteria and grease built ups. Stainless steel is also a good option nowadays. The key message is to use something multiple times, not just once.

[@nobody2021]

the only way paper straws could work properly is if they were impregnated with something like wax to make them airtight. they're only somewhat airtight. the last time i got a shake at wendys forever ago they only had paper straws and no matter how hard i sucked on it i could not get the shake to go up the straw into my mouth at anything more than a trickle and i could feel a lot of air coming through the paper so that's where so much of the effort was going. i had to drive somewhere else nearby to get a plastic straw just to be able to drink the shake. it would also keep them from disintegrating in drinks, but sealing them with wax would make them not possible to recycle which is the selling point even though probably less than 0.1% of paper straws get recycled anyway. there is no way to get paper straws to work well without making it so that you may as well just use plastic straws instead.

[@AdrianCubed]

Using a straw like pasta noodle for cold drinks is the best. 100% biodegradable and safe for environment. idk why we're wasting/green washing paper straws or wax coated paper straws. As for hot drinks well... idk why anyone is drinking hot drinks from a straw when usually hot drinks are capped with a sip cup cap.

[@jmi5969]

and idk why would anyone ever need a straw for drinking... well, at least we agree on one half of the issue.

[@johndeaux8815]

⁠@@jmi5969did you watch the whole video? There is a specific group of people mentioned in the video who need straws (otherwise they need a feeding tube)

[@jmi5969]

@@johndeaux8815 This isn't about disabilities. Some people need straws to survive, some need diapers - but why should a healthy person do it?

[@johndeaux8815]

@@jmi5969 hey I wasn’t the one saying idk why ANYONE would EVER need a straw for drinking. Seems like you misunderstand the meaning of those words

[@Batmangutten]

You can boil silicon straws and throw them in the oven. Makes them relatively easy to clean and gets rid of any smells.

[@juanspyro4658]

I thought you were gonna talk about the PFAS chemicals found in paper straws making us ingest them, making them 100x worse than plastic straws could ever be

[@abbiejoyguabna5320]

the pendulum was a good one! My new reasoning is hereeee boiii: (plastic) Straws are mainly invented for medical use and normal healthy people should not use them. This should be the quote these corporations added to their drinks to explain the no straw situation

[@justchristolin5076]

Why are ANY of the straws being used in hot beverages!!!! Plastic shouldn't be used in tea either lol

[@FutureProofTV]

.........reaaaally good point tbh

[@karolinakuc4783]

It definitely marrs the taste

[@exodous02]

Live in a red state so I have only actually seen paper straws in Costco food court. They seemed to work, I don't take hours to drink a soda though. I guess if I drank a milkshake with them it would be a problem because I consume them slower. Maybe places should not have straws, bring your own? Maybe people would start using metal. Wait, what hot drinks are you drinking through straws? Do people drink coffee though Straws?

[@cern1999sb]

The interesting thing about straws is in almost all circumstances, they aren't even required at all. You know what's more environmentally friendly than plastic OR paper straws? No straws. (Apart from in scenarios like hospitals where they're actually needed)

[@lewisz8020]

Levi really skipped out on using the term "Strawdogging" at 10:47

[@nanatsureina]

plastic straws aren't banned in my country but some "pro-environment"-ish shops would use paper straw which I hate. So I usually just discard the straw immediately and drink straight off the edge of the cup, although sometimes it gets annoying when I'm drinking booba tea because I'd be left with the booba and ice at the bottom..

[@erglwrgl]

Enjoy it while it lasts because every country in the world is probably going to eventually have stupid paper straws forced on everyone

[@nanatsureina]

@@erglwrgl when that happens, I'm just gonna order hot drinks xD

[@erglwrgl]

@@nanatsureina but what about when you want cold drinks

[@erglwrgl]

@@nanatsureina (paper straws get absolutely decimated by cold drinks)

[@MineJulRBX]

The paper straws here are relatively good, I live in Denmark, and I was in Germany this summer. In Germany the straws are literally like a paper towel, you're sucking up lumps of paper before you get home, even their cups themelves have completely absorbed the soda before you get home collapsing on themselves, absolutely awful. I can reuse the same pper straw from yesterday here in Denmark.

[@sowianskizonierz2693]

the wonders of german engineering

[@MegaLokopo]

Considering everything has an environmental impact, when will they be happy? I'm convinced no solution will ever be good enough for them for any problem they have.

[@TommyCrosby]

For the whole video I was like "why the F people really need straws anyway?" (Speaking about fast food and the like) just don't use them? So, great ending 😂

[@lbjoshbal]

Nice video. This is a controversial topic. I was a tourist in Poland two months ago, and the fast food restaurants had paper straws. It was interesting because the polish are a lot more recycle supportive than Americans. Less plastic to to throw in the trash.

[@davidfrischknecht8261]

I use straws to keep ice cubes away from my teeth. Before New Jersey banned plastic straws, when I went out to eat, I would use the same straw the entire meal no matter how many beverage refills I got. Now I get a new straw with each refill because the old one has gotten too soggy.