drinking straw

File:Stèle Mercenaire syrien 18ème dynastie Neues Museum image éclaircie et perspective corrigée.jpg, reign of Akhenaten (Amenophis IV), {{Circa}} 1300 BCE, depicting use of an early form of drinking straw in beer-drinking. Egyptian Museum of Berlin]]

The first known straws were made by the Sumerians and were used for drinking beer,{{cite news|last=Thompson|first=Derek|date=22 November 2011|title=The Amazing History and the Strange Invention of the Bendy Straw|work=The Atlantic|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/11/the-amazing-history-and-the-strange-invention-of-the-bendy-straw/248923/}} probably to avoid the solid byproducts of fermentation that sink to the bottom.{{cite journal |doi=10.1179/007589192790220793 |title=Bone and Metal Straw-tip Beer-strainers from the Ancient Near East |journal=Levant |volume=24 |pages=218–223 |year=2013 |last1=Maeir |first1=Aren M. |last2=Garfinkel |first2=Yosef }}{{cite journal |last1=Homan |first1=Michael |title=Beer and Its Drinkers: An Ancient Near Eastern Love Story |journal=Near Eastern Archaeology |date=2004 |volume=67 |issue=2 |pages=84–95 |url=https://www.academia.edu/17738197 |doi=10.2307/4132364 |jstor=4132364 |s2cid=162357890 }} The oldest drinking straw in existence, found in a Sumerian tomb dated 3,000 BCE, was a gold tube inlaid with the precious blue stone lapis lazuli. Others claim metal ‘sceptres’ discovered in Armenia in 1897 and date to the Maykop culture (3700 to 2900 BCE) as the oldest surviving straws.{{Cite web|date=2022-01-19|title=The oldest known drinking straws date back to over 5,000 years ago|url=https://www.sciencenews.org/article/oldest-drinking-straw-gold-silver-russia|access-date=2022-01-23|website=Science News|language=en-US}}{{cite news |last1=Dvorsky |first1=George |title=These 5,000-Year-Old Drinking Straws Were Used to Sip Beer, Researchers Say |url=https://gizmodo.com/these-5-000-year-old-drinking-straws-were-used-to-sip-b-1848378709 |access-date=20 January 2022 |work=Gizmodo |date=18 January 2022 |language=en-us}}

File:BombillaParaguay.JPG, a metal straw with a filter on the bottom, traditionally used for drinking mate]]In the 1800s, the rye straw came into fashion because it was cheap and soft, but it had an unfortunate tendency to turn to mush when put in liquid.

File:Stone's Patent Paper Julep Straws.png

American Marvin C. Stone patented the modern drinking straw, {{frac|8|1|2}} inches long and made of paper, in 1888, to address the shortcomings of the rye straw.{{cite patent|country-code=US|patent-number=375962|title=Artificial straw|issue-date=1888|inventor1-last=Stone|inventor1-first=Marvin}} He came upon the idea while drinking a mint julep on a hot day in Washington, D.C.;{{cite web|url=https://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/trends-news/article/history-of-the-straw|title=A Brief History of the Straw|last=Hollander|first=Catherine|website=bonappetit.com|date=23 October 2014 |access-date=6 August 2018}}

{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/5336242/plastic-straws-history/|title=The Backlash Against Plastic Straws Is Spreading. Here's How They Got So Popular in the First Place|magazine=Time|access-date=6 August 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/straws-history|title=A Brief History of the Modern-Day Straw, the World's Most Wasteful Commodity|date=7 July 2017|website=atlasobscura.com|access-date=6 August 2018}} the taste of the rye straw was mixing with the drink and giving it a grassy taste, which he found unsatisfactory. He wound paper around a pencil to make a thin tube, slid out the pencil from one end, and applied glue between the strips. He later refined it by building a machine that would coat the outside of the paper with wax to hold it together, so the glue would not dissolve in bourbon.{{cite web|url=https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/drinks/a54072/paper-cocktail-straws/|title=Honestly, Who Likes Paper Straws?|date=23 March 2017|website=esquire.com|access-date=6 August 2018}}http://www.youngscientist.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Year-5_Straws-that-Stay_YSA.pdf Year 5 – Straws that Stay{{Cite web|url=https://shop.driehausmuseum.org/products/1888-heavy-duty-paper-drinking-straws-pack-of-24|title=1888 Heavy-Duty Paper Drinking Straws (Pack of 24)|website=Driehaus Museum Store|access-date=10 August 2021|archive-date=10 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810034026/https://shop.driehausmuseum.org/products/1888-heavy-duty-paper-drinking-straws-pack-of-24|url-status=dead}}{{cite news| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/suck-on-this-the-drinking-straw-was-invented-in-washington/2018/11/03/f6050bae-deb8-11e8-b3f0-62607289efee_story.html| title = Good to the last drop: The drinking straw was invented in Washington - The Washington Post| newspaper = The Washington Post}}

According to a 1925 bulletin from the National Geographic Society, the people of Jubaland (modern-day Somalia) used hollow "drinking sticks", two feet long and half an inch in diameter, to drink from the yak tree.{{cite news |title=Evening Star |volume= |issue= |date=14 June 1925 |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1925-06-14/ed-1/seq-59/ |work=Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers |publisher=Library of Congress |accessdate=6 January 2025}}{{Better source needed|date=January 2025|reason=The original National Geographic source needs to be verified.}}

Early paper straws had a narrow bore, to prevent seeds from clogging them. It was common to use two of them, to reduce the effort needed to take each sip.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}

Plastic straws became widespread following World War II. The materials used in their manufacture were inexpensive, and the types of restaurant fare that they accompanied had become more affordable and popular.{{Cite magazine|url=https://time.com/5336242/plastic-straws-history/|title=The Backlash Against Plastic Straws Is Spreading. Here's How They Got So Popular in the First Place|magazine=Time|language=en|access-date=3 December 2018}}

In 1930, Otto W. Dieffenbach Sr. developed and produced a cellophane drinking straw in Baltimore. His company known as Glassips Inc., produced straws for restaurants and other products. One [https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/aa/cb/93/365de0299f670b/US2678665-drawings-page-1.png patent] dates to 1954. Dieffenbach served as chairman until 1972 and the business, then based in Towson, Maryland, was sold in 1979.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17658362/otto-dieffenbach-19-nov-1880-7-july/|title=Otto Dieffenbach (19 Nov 1880 - 7 July 1973)|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|date=9 July 1973|pages=9|via=newspapers.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/|title=Baltimore Sun: Baltimore breaking news, sports, business, entertainment, weather and traffic|website=baltimoresun.com}}

One of the first mass-produced twisted straw was Sip-N-See invented by Milton Dinhofer.{{cite journal |title=Monkey Business |journal=Rensselaer |issue=Spring/2015 |pages=12–13 |publisher=Office of Strategic Communications and External Relations, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute}} Dinhofer originally patented his straw in the shape of a scissor with two loops on top,{{cite web |last1=Dinhofer |first1=M. |title=Drinking Straw |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/USD158056 |website=Google Patents |access-date=29 December 2018}} but Macy's would not carry the straw unless it had a character on it. They suggested Dinhofer make three straws (eventually patented in 1950):{{cite web |last1=Dinhofer |first1=Milton |title=Toy Drinking Tube |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US2619770A/en |website=Google Patents |access-date=29 December 2018}} a cowboy, a clown and an animal for which he made an elephant. Each of his characters was attached to a looping soft polyethylene straw. Rexor Corp. copyrighted{{cite web |title=Catalogue of Copyright Entries: Third Series |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8lUhAQAAIAAJ&q=Rexor+corp.+straw+1950&pg=RA1-PA81 |website=Google Books |publisher=The Library of Congress |access-date=29 December 2018 |pages=80 |date=January–June 1950}} the straw the same year, but Macy's decided not to carry them. Dinhofer first marketed the straws with Woolworths. The straws were sold in individual boxes, and more characters were eventually added.{{cite web |last1=Dinhofer |first1=M. |title=Drinking Straw |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/USD169241S/en?inventor=Milton+Dinhofer |website=Google Patents |access-date=29 December 2018}} Other buyers began to carry it, too, and it was marketed as an "action drinking toy."{{cite news |title=Sip-N-See Advertisement |work=The North Adams Transcript |date=14 August 1951 |location=North Adams, Massachusetts |pages=3}} Sip-N-See went on to sell approximately six million units.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

Drinking straws come in many variations and are manufactured using a variety of materials.

File:Drinking straws 2 2018-10-16.jpg

The most common form of drinking straw is made of the thermoplastic polymer polypropylene. This plastic is known for its durability, lightness, and ability to be manufactured at a low cost.{{Cite book|last1=Malpass|first1=Dennis B.|last2=Band|first2=Elliot I.|date=2012-06-18|title=Introduction to Industrial Polypropylene|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781118463215|doi=10.1002/9781118463215|isbn=9781118463215}} Other plastic polymers that exhibit these traits include polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).{{Cite journal|last1=Viera|first1=João S.C.|last2=Marques|first2=Mônica R.C.|last3=Nazareth|first3=Monick Cruz|last4=Jimenez|first4=Paula Christine|last5=Castro|first5=Ítalo Braga|date=April 2020|title=On replacing single-use plastic with so-called biodegradable ones: The case with straws |journal=Environmental Science & Policy|language=en|volume=106|pages=177–181|doi=10.1016/j.envsci.2020.02.007|bibcode=2020ESPol.106..177V |s2cid=214458686}}

These attributes are what have made the traditional plastic straw ubiquitous in fast food establishments and take-out orders around the world. Additionally, other advantages of plastic straws include their ability to be molded into different shapes and sizes while also being able to withstand a wide range of temperatures without deforming.{{Cite book|date=1998-11-01|title=Polypropylene: the definitive user's guide and databook}} This is important because straws must be temperature resistant and thermally insulated because they can be used in both hot and cold beverages.

File:Drink with straw.jpg

One interesting variation of the plastic straw is the "bendy straw", commonly referred to in the industry as an "articulated straw". This straw has a concertina-type hinge near its top to allow for improved maneuverability of the straw when drinking a beverage, especially from a low angle. The articulated straw was invented by Joseph Friedman in 1937. He quickly developed the straw after he saw his daughter struggling to use a normal straight straw.{{Cite web|title=Friedman and the Flexible Straw|url=https://americanhistory.si.edu/archives/d8769.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090404005224/https://americanhistory.si.edu/archives/d8769.htm|archive-date=4 April 2009}}

File:Brown on middeck with drink packet during STS-95.jpg mission STS-95. Straws help reduce the likelihood that liquids will escape containment and contaminate equipment within space vessels. Specially designed straws and other drinking equipment, such as hydration packs can be used in high complexity environments where liquids can cause problems.]]

Another variation of the plastic straw, the "spoon straw", has a spoon-like tip at the bottom, and is often used with iced slush beverages.{{Cite web|title=Polar Krush launches 100% recyclable spoon straw for iced drinks|url=https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2019/04/12/Polar-Krush-launches-100-recyclable-spoon-straw-for-iced-drinks|access-date=20 January 2020|website=beveragedaily.com|date=12 April 2019 |language=en-GB}}

{{Anchor|stir straw}}"Stir straws" with a relatively short length and quite a narrow bore are often given along with disposable cups for preparing coffee or tea and serve the primary function of being able to stir in sugar, sweetener, cream, or non-dairy creamer, as well as allowing for sipping a hot beverage. Additionally, boba tea plastic straws with wider openings are commonly used to drink bubble tea, to better accommodate its characteristic tapioca pearls. The tip of these straws is often cut at an angle creating a point which allows one to use the straw to puncture the plastic cover of bubble tea drinks.{{cite web|title=Would you pay $2 for a straw ? San Francisco bubble tea shops wrestle with plastic ban|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/08/03/2-straw-plastic-ban-may-cost-san-francisco-boba-shops/873009002/|access-date=6 August 2018|website=usatoday.com}}

Plastic straws can also be embellished with some forms marketed as "crazy straws", having a number of twists and turns at the top. These straws are often marketed and can be entertaining for young children.{{cite web|last=Hollander|first=Catherine|date=October 2014|title=A Brief History of the Straw|url=https://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/trends-news/article/history-of-the-straw|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907122223/https://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/trends-news/article/history-of-the-straw|archive-date=7 September 2015|access-date=20 September 2015|website=Bon Appetit Magazine}}{{cite book|last=Bluestone|first=Judith|title=The Fabric of Autism: Weaving the Threads into a Cogent Theory|date=2005|publisher=Sapphire Enterprises|isbn=9780972023528|page=182|chapter=Crazy Straw|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ym98jC_aEVcC&pg=PA182}}{{MEDRS|date=October 2018}} The crazy straw was invented by Arthur Philip Gildersleeve and patented in 1936.{{us patent|2063803|Drinking Tube}}

File:Metal straw.jpg

Environmental concerns, stemming from the impact plastic waste has had on the ocean, have led to a rise in reusable straws.{{Cite journal|last1=Zanghelini|first1=Guilherme Marcelo|last2=Cherubini|first2=Edivan|last3=Dias|first3=Ricardo|last4=Kabe|first4=Yuki Hamilton Onda|last5=Delgado|first5=Jorge Juan Soto|date=December 2020|title=Comparative life cycle assessment of drinking straws in Brazil|url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0959652620331152|journal=Journal of Cleaner Production|language=en|volume=276|pages=123070|doi=10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123070|bibcode=2020JCPro.27623070Z |s2cid=225153562|url-access=subscription}}{{Citation|last=Letcher|first=Trevor M.|title=Introduction to plastic waste and recycling|date=2020|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-817880-5.00001-3|work=Plastic Waste and Recycling|pages=3–12|publisher=Elsevier|doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-817880-5.00001-3|isbn=978-0-12-817880-5|s2cid=216542304|access-date=2020-11-10|url-access=subscription}} Reusable straws are primarily being manufactured out of polylactic acid (PLA),{{Cite book|date=2008|title=Monomers, Polymers and Composites from Renewable Resources|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-045316-3.x0001-4|doi=10.1016/b978-0-08-045316-3.x0001-4|isbn=9780080453163}} silicone, and metal.{{Cite news|last=Brissette|first=Christy|date=3 July 2018|title=Plastic straws aren't just bad for the environment—they can be bad for your body|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/plastic-straws-arent-just-bad-for-the-environment--they-can-be-bad-for-your-body/2018/07/02/d682fdfe-7964-11e8-aeee-4d04c8ac6158_story.html|access-date=20 January 2020|newspaper=Washington Post}} Polylactic acid and silicone straws are the most similar in texture and feel to their plastic counterparts, however, they fit into the category of biodegradable polymers. These types of straws have some benefits over other more ecologically conscious straws because they are resistant to disintegrating in one's drink and provide adequate insulation for hot and cold drinks. One manufacturer of silicone straws even claims that their straws can be burned into biodegradable ash.

Metal and glass straws are other reusable alternatives. A "vampire straw" is a large metal drinking straw with a pointed tip that allows it to double as a dagger-like weapon. A man was arrested at Boston Logan International Airport after a vampire straw was confiscated from his carry-on luggage.{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/30/us/what-is-vampire-straw-meaning/index.html|title=What is a vampire straw? A closer look at the weapon confiscated from a Boston traveler's luggage|website=CNN |date=30 April 2023 }}

{{Excerpt|bombilla}}

Some companies such as Starbucks have moved away from plastic straws.{{Cite news|date=2018-07-09|title=Starbucks to ban plastics straws in all stores by 2020|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44774762|access-date=2021-02-17}} Bamboo straws are sometimes made from the moso bamboo tree (Phyllostachys edulis).{{Cite web|title=Phyllostachys edulis (Carrière) J. Houz. GRIN-Global|url=https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=28158|access-date=2021-02-17|website=npgsweb.ars-grin.gov}}

Some companies such as McDonald's have switched to paper and paperboard straws.

Edible straws have been made out of materials like rice, seaweed, rye,{{cite news|date=11 October 2019|title='Rye-cycled' natural straws helping environment and farmers in war on single-use plastic|website=ABC News|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-10-11/recycled-rye-straws-an-option-to-help-environment-and-farmers/11589450|access-date=11 October 2019}} and confectioneries (such as candy).{{Cite web|last=Zhang|first=Jenny G.|date=30 August 2019|title=The Dream of a Delicious Alternative (Cereal?) Straw|url=https://www.eater.com/2019/8/30/20839670/froot-loops-cereal-straws-nostalgia-environmentally-friendly|access-date=20 January 2020|website=Eater|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Concio|first=Chardynne Joy H.|date=24 April 2019|title=The Incredible, Edible… Straw?|url=https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/20728/20190424/the-incredible-edible…-straw.htm|access-date=20 January 2020|website=Science Times|language=en}}{{Cite news|last=Krueger|first=Alyson|date=7 October 2019|title=Do You Really Need a Straw With That?|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/07/style/plastic-straw-alternatives.html|access-date=20 January 2020|issn=0362-4331}}

Flavor straws are a form of drinking straw with a flavoring included, designed to make drinking milk more pleasant for children. They first marketed in the United States in 1956 as Flav-R-Straws.Milk plant monthly, Volume 45, p. 68 (1956), quote: "New Flavored Straws For Use in Milk Drinks [...] A new type of straw with built-in flavor for use with milk drinks has been introduced by Flav-R Straws, Inc." Newer variations of the original idea have been resurrected in forms such as Sipahhs, and Magic Milk Straws that contain hundreds of flavored pellets encased within a stiff plastic straw.

{{see also|Environmental impact of paper straw production}}

File:Heart shaped drinking straw.jpg

Plastic straws are not widely recycled and, when improperly disposed, contribute to pollution of the environment.{{Cite web|title=Plastic Straws|url=https://www.beyondplastics.org/fact-sheets/plastic-straws#:~:text=These%20straws%20are%20not%20recyclable,for%20more%20than%20200%20years|access-date=2023-03-27|website=BeyondPlastics|language=en}}{{Better source needed|date=January 2025|reason=non-blog source needed}}

A video of a plastic straw being removed from the nostril of a sea turtle by marine biologist Nathan J. Robinson, filmed by Christine Figgener, quickly spread across all forms of media and spurred the elevation of awareness regarding the potential danger of plastic straws for marine life. The scientist who uploaded the video remarks that it is the emotional pull of the imagery, rather than the significance of the plastic straw itself, that garnered such high viewership.{{Cite journal|last=Figgener|first=Christine|date=November 2018|title=What I learnt pulling a straw out of a turtle's nose|journal=Nature|language=en|volume=563|issue=7730|pages=157|doi=10.1038/d41586-018-07287-z|pmid=30401858|bibcode=2018Natur.563..157F|issn=0028-0836|doi-access=|s2cid=53234031 }}

One anti-straw advocacy group has estimated that about 500 million straws are used daily in the United States alone—an average 1.6 straws per capita per day.{{cite web|date=12 April 2017|title=Straw Wars: The Fight to Rid the Oceans of Discarded Plastic|url=https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/04/plastic-straws-ocean-trash-environment/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629144206/https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/04/plastic-straws-ocean-trash-environment/|archive-date=29 June 2017|access-date=18 July 2017|website=National Geographic News}}{{cite web|last=Bailey|first=Kate|title=FAQs and Links – Milo's Be Straw Free Campaign|url=http://www.ecocycle.org/bestrawfree/faqs|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705144922/http://ecocycle.org/bestrawfree/faqs|archive-date=5 July 2017|access-date=18 July 2017|website=Eco-Cycle}}{{cite web|title=UNDERSTANDING PLASTIC POLLUTION|url=https://www.strawlessocean.org/faq/|access-date=22 February 2018|website=Strawless Ocean|archive-date=3 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180503082656/https://www.strawlessocean.org/faq/|url-status=dead}} This statistic has been criticized as inaccurate, because it was approximated by Milo Cress, who was nine years old at the time, after surveying straw manufacturers{{cite web|date=25 January 2018|title=California Considers $1,000 Fine for Waiters Offering Unsolicited Plastic Straws|url=https://reason.com/blog/2018/01/25/california-bill-would-criminalize-restau|access-date=6 August 2018|website=reason.com}}[https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2018/05/02/plastics-single-use-straws-oceans Americans Throw Out Millions Of Plastic Straws Daily. Here's What's Being Done About It] to ask their estimates of the total, which he then averaged. (Further details are unavailable as "being 9, he had not thought to document the process closely."{{cite news |last1=Connor |first1=Alex |title=That anti-straw movement? It's all based on one 9-year-old's suspect statistic |url=https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/07/18/anti-straw-movement-based-unverified-statistic-500-million-day/750563002/ |work=USA TODAY}}) This figure has been widely cited by major news organizations.{{Cite news|last=Chokshi|first=Niraj|date=2018-07-19|title=How a 9-Year-Old Boy's Statistic Shaped a Debate on Straws|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/19/business/plastic-straws-ban-fact-check-nyt.html|access-date=2021-08-07|issn=0362-4331}} Market research firm Freedonia Group estimated the number to be 390 million. Another market research firm Technomic estimated the number to be 170 million, although this number excludes some types of straws.

In ocean trash, straws and stirrers are high in number but low in weight. They were the 9th most commonly collected item in the Ocean Conservancy's 2023 International Coastal Cleanup, with 415,957 collected.{{cite web |url=https://oceanconservancy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/ICCAnnualReport2024_Digital.pdf |title=2024 Report / #SeaTheChange / International Coastal Cleanup |publisher=Ocean Conservancy}} With an estimated 437 million to 8.3 billion remaining to be collected worldwide in 2018, by weight, they are less than 0.022% of plastic waste emitted to oceans.{{cite news|url=https://phys.org/news/2018-04-science-amount-straws-plastic-pollution.html|title=Science Says: Amount of straws, plastic pollution is huge|publisher=phys.org|access-date=6 December 2018|language=en-us|quote=straws add up to only about 2,000 tons of the nearly 9 million tons of plastic waste that yearly hits the waters}}

Microplastics pollution is a concern if plastic waste is improperly dumped.{{Cite journal|last1=Chae|first1=Yooeun|last2=An|first2=Youn-Joo|date=1 September 2018|title=Current research trends on plastic pollution and ecological impacts on the soil ecosystem: A review|journal=Environmental Pollution|language=en|volume=240|pages=387–395|doi=10.1016/j.envpol.2018.05.008|issn=0269-7491|pmid=29753246|bibcode=2018EPoll.240..387C |s2cid=21720615}} If plastic straws are improperly disposed of, they can be transported via water into soil ecosystems, and others, where they break down into smaller, more hazardous pieces than the original plastic straw.

Water can break down plastic waste into microplastic and nanoplastic particles. These particles are capable of transmitting harmful substances or can themselves prove dangerous, as they have been shown to negatively affect the surrounding environment.

File:Drinking straws made of paper-02ASD.jpg

Some environmentalists say that straws are simply unnecessary in most cases, except for people with certain medical issues and certain beverages like bubble tea.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2025/02/11/plastic-straws-single-use-trump-order/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |title=The solution to the plastic straw debate is hiding in plain sight |date=February 11, 2025 |author=Allyson Chiu}}

Alternatives to plastic straws, some reusable, exist, although they are not always readily available, or deemed to be of sufficient quality for all users (including, in particular, those with a disability). Paper straws have proliferated as a popular alternative, although they are prone to losing their rigidity when soaked inside a beverage, and in some cases are not durable enough for thicker beverages such as milkshakes. Metal straws are more durable, but they are incapable of being bent, can damage teeth or lacerate children or kill adults during falls,[https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/11/world/europe/metal-straws-death.html "Fatal Accident With Metal Straw Highlights a Risk: The disturbing death of a woman in Britain renewed a debate that has followed bans on plastic straws around the world."] and some restaurants have reported them as a target of theft.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/08/paper-straws-wont-stop-climate-change/596302/|title=The Case Against Paper Straws|last=Lowrey|first=Annie|date=20 August 2019|website=The Atlantic|language=en-US|access-date=21 January 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Olsen |first1=Martine Berg |title=Woman, 60, died after falling on eco-friendly metal straw which pierced her eye |url=https://metro.co.uk/2019/07/08/retired-jockey-60-died-falling-onto-metal-straw-impaled-eye-10132343/ |work=Metro |date=8 July 2019 |language=en}}

Some critics have argued that paper and metal alternatives are no more environmentally-friendly than plastic, citing the environmental impacts of paper and mining, and that paper straws would likely end up in landfills and not be composted. In August 2019, after deploying paper straws in the United Kingdom, McDonald's stated that its straws could not actually be recycled at present, since their thickness "makes it difficult for them to be processed by our waste solution providers". The chain stated that they went towards energy production, and not to landfills.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/paper-straws-not-biodegradable-in-landfill-1.4751021|title=Wasted efforts? Even paper straws won't break down in the dump, says waste consultant|date=17 July 2018|website=CBC News|access-date=21 January 2020}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49234054|title=McDonald's paper straws cannot be recycled|date=5 August 2019|work=BBC News|access-date=21 January 2020|language=en-GB}}

Polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable plastic, requires 69% fewer fossil fuel resources to produce than plastic, but it requires very specific conditions to break down fully.{{cite journal|last1=Tokiwa|first1=Yutaka|last2=Calabia|first2=Buenaventurada|last3=Ugwu|first3=Charles|last4=Aiba|first4=Seiichi|year=2009|title=Biodegradability of Plastics|journal=International Journal of Molecular Sciences|volume=10|issue=9|pages=3722–3742|doi=10.3390/ijms10093722|pmc=2769161|pmid=19865515|doi-access=free}} Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), derived from plant oil, is marine biodegradable. In 2021, the manufacturing company Wincup was distributing a PHA product branded as "the Phade straw."{{Cite web|last=DiPalma|first=Brooke|date=15 February 2021|title=Dunkin partners with Wincup to test biodegradable straw as more companies go green|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/dunkin-partners-with-wincup-to-test-biodegradable-straw-140027690.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215150256/https://finance.yahoo.com/news/dunkin-partners-with-wincup-to-test-biodegradable-straw-140027690.html |archive-date=15 February 2021 |access-date=2021-02-15|website=finance.yahoo.com|language=en-US}}

As of 2021 several eco-friendly alternative materials have been tried. Among them are hay straws, bamboo straws, seaweed straws, and straws made from naturally dried fallen coconut leaves.{{Cite web|last=Peters|first=Adele|date=2019-03-07|title=These straws work like plastic, but they're 'hyper-compostable'|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90315817/these-straws-work-like-plastic-but-theyre-hyper-compostable|access-date=2021-05-13|website=Fast Company|language=en-US}}

In an attempt to artificially boost sales, some groups have been guilty of "greenwashing", or falsely marketing their products as a viable environmentally friendly alternative, when it is actually just as harmful to the environment, or worse. These marketing tactics draw in well-meaning consumers who believe they are helping the environment (often by paying more for a product), when they are instead encouraging these misleading strategies.

To combat this scheme, TerraChoice, an America-based advertising company, crafted a rubric to calculate the amount of greenwashing prevalent in a product. They determined that 95% of products they surveyed at American and Canadian stores are guilty of at least one act of greenwashing.

In the late 2010s, a movement towards laws banning or otherwise restricting the use of plastic straws and other single-use plastics emerged. Environmental groups have encouraged consumers to object to "forced" inclusion of plastic straws with food service.[https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/no-straw-please/ "No straw please"], plasticpollutioncoalition.org[https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/04/30/mcdonalds-pushed-to-ban-plastic-straws-in-the-united-states-2/ McDonald's pushed to ban plastic straws in the United States] S.J. Mercury News (McClatchy, 30 April 2018) The movement followed the discovery of plastic particles in oceanic garbage patches and larger plastic waste-reduction efforts that focused on banning plastic bags in some jurisdictions. It has been intensified by viral videos, including one of a plastic straw being removed from a sea turtle's nostril by biologist Nathan J. Robinson and filmed by marine biologist and activist Christine Figgener.{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/plastic-straws-clog-ocean-hurt-fish-now-there-s-growing-n877356|title=Plastic straws clog the ocean hurt fish. Now there's a growing movement to ban them. Are plastic straws out of time, or can they survive like plastic bags?|website=nbcnews.com|date=26 May 2018 |access-date=6 August 2018}}

A single-use plastic ban was introduced in the state of South Australia in 2020. Fast food chain McDonald's promised to phase out plastic straws throughout Australia by 2020.

On 5 July 2018, the city of Rio de Janeiro became the first state capital of Brazil to forbid the distribution of plastic straws,{{cite web|url=http://g1.globo.com/jornal-nacional/noticia/2018/07/canudinho-de-plastico-no-rio-e-proibido-e-fiscalizacao-comecou.html|title=Canudinho de plástico no Rio é proibido e a fiscalização começou|date=19 July 2018|access-date=10 September 2019|website=G1|language=pt}}{{cite web|url=https://g1.globo.com/rj/rio-de-janeiro/noticia/crivella-sanciona-lei-que-obriga-bares-e-restaurantes-a-oferecerem-canudos-de-papel-biodegradavel-ou-reciclavel-no-rio.ghtml|title=Crivella sanciona lei que obriga bares e restaurantes a oferecer canudos de papel biodegradável ou reciclável no Rio|date=5 July 2018|access-date=10 September 2019|website=G1|last=Boeckel|first=Cristina|language=pt}} "forcing restaurants, coffee shops, bars and the like, beach huts and hawkers of the municipality to use and provide to its customers only biodegradable and/or recyclable paper straws individually".{{cite web|url=http://mail.camara.rj.gov.br/APL/Legislativos/contlei.nsf/7cb7d306c2b748cb0325796000610ad8/2c69692d745ce1dc832582c1005727b9?OpenDocument|title=LEI Nº 6.384 DE 4 DE JULHO DE 2018|date=4 July 2018|access-date=10 September 2019|website=Câmara Municipal do Rio de Janeiro|language=pt}}

In May 2018, the Vancouver city council voted in favor of adopting a "Single Use Reduction Strategy", targeting single-use styrofoam containers and plastic straws.{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4212702/vancouver-straw-ban/|title=City of Vancouver votes to ban single-use plastic straws and styrofoam cups|website=Global News|language=en|access-date=21 January 2020}} The council approved the first phase of the regulations in November 2019, expected to be in place by April 2020, barring the distribution of single-use straws unless requested (with straws on hand required to be bendable for accessibility reasons). Bubble tea shops will be given a one-year exemption.{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/6207401/vancouver-plastic-ban-timeline/|title=Vancouver approves ban on straws, plastic bags|website=Global News|language=en|access-date=21 January 2020}}{{Cite news|url=https://bc.ctvnews.ca/vancouver-bans-plastic-bags-straws-foam-containers-and-other-single-use-items-1.4707281|title=Vancouver bans plastic bags, straws, foam containers and other single-use items|date=28 November 2019|newspaper=British Columbia|language=en|access-date=21 January 2020}}

In March 2019, Starbucks announced that they would be debuting strawless lids for cold drinks across Toronto as a part of their global environmental aspirations.{{Cite web|url=https://dailyhive.com/toronto/starbucks-strawless-lids-toronto-summer-2019|title=Starbucks to launch strawless cold-drink lids in Toronto this summer|last=Gladysz|first=Kayla|date=20 March 2019|website=Daily Hive|language=en|access-date=21 March 2019}}

In June 2019, in the lead-up to the federal election, prime minister Justin Trudeau announced his intent to enact legislation restricting the use of petroleum-based single-used plastics as early as 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/justin-trudeau-will-ban-single-use-plastics-as-early-as-2021-if-re-elected/|title=Canada Will Ban Single-Use Plastics—If Trudeau Is Re-elected|last=Beaumont|first=Hilary|date=10 June 2019|website=Vice|language=en|access-date=21 January 2020}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.thespec.com/news-story/9427408-trudeau-government-plans-to-ban-harmful-single-use-plastics-in-canada-as-early-as-2021/|title=Trudeau government plans to ban 'harmful' single-use plastics in Canada as early as 2021|last=Ballingall|first=Alex|date=10 June 2019|work=The Hamilton Spectator|access-date=21 January 2020|language=en-CA|issn=1189-9417}}{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/5372542/justin-trudeau-single-use-plastics-ban/|title=Trudeau eyeing a Canadian ban on single-use plastics by 2021|website=Global News|language=en|access-date=21 January 2020}} In 2023, the ban was overturned by the Federal Court, as it was found to be "unreasonable and unconstitutional".{{Cite web |title=The Federal Court just overturned Ottawa's single-use plastic ban - National {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/10096664/plastic-ban-overturned-court/ |access-date=2023-11-17 |website=Global News |language=en-US}}

In May 2018, the European Union proposed a directive banning a number of single-use plastic items including straws, cotton buds, cutlery, balloon sticks and drink stirrers, in addition to limiting the use other single-use plastics and extending producer responsibility. The EU estimated the plan would avoid 3.4 million tons of carbon emissions, save consumers €6.5 billion, and prevent environmental damage that would cost the equivalent of €22 billion by the year 2030.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44280532 |title=EU proposes ban on straws and other single-use plastics |work=BBC News |date=28 May 2018 |access-date=1 July 2018}} In October 2018, the European Parliament voted to pass the directive with 571 votes for and 53 votes against,{{cite news |title=Single-use plastics ban approved by European Parliament |work=BBC News |date=24 October 2018 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45965605 |access-date=17 January 2022}} and the directive came into effect on 2 July 2021.{{cite web |title=European Union: Ban on Single-Use Plastics Takes Effect |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/global-legal-monitor/2021-07-18/european-union-ban-on-single-use-plastics-takes-effect/ |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=17 January 2022}} The specificity of the European market is that it prohibits all types of straws made of plastic, whether bio-based or compostable. This means that popular straws made of PHA, PBS or PLA for example, are prohibited in this territory.{{Cite web |last=French Government |title=FAQ Plastic |url=https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/FAQ%20plastique%2017012022.pdf |access-date=18 February 2023 |archive-date=1 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201220814/https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/FAQ%20plastique%2017012022.pdf |url-status=dead }}

Plastic straws and other single-use plastics were banned in New Zealand on 1 July 2023, with exceptions for disabled people.{{Cite news |title=Why the government is banning single-use plastics |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/132492985/why-the-government-is-banning-singleuse-plastics |access-date=11 February 2025 |work=Stuff}} Plastic straws that are addded to packaging by machines (such as juice boxes) will be banned on 1 January 2026.{{Cite web |title=Aotearoa New Zealand Single-use plastics ban |url=https://environment.govt.nz/assets/NZ-plastics-ban-guide-for-business-factsheet.pdf |access-date=11 February 2025 |website=Ministry for the Environment}}

Single-use plastic straws banned in government facilities, schools, department stores, shopping malls and fast food restaurants from 1 July 2019.{{cite news |title=Taiwan's ban on plastic straws kicks in today |work=Taiwan News |date=1 July 2019 |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3735676 |access-date=23 August 2022}}

The UK government committed at most £4 million to "Plastics innovation: towards zero waste" in the summer of 2017 in an attempt to mitigate the circulation of unnecessary plastic.{{Cite journal|last=Kenward|first=Michael|date=December 2018|title=Plastic waste is the last straw, says UK|journal=MRS Bulletin|language=en|volume=43|issue=12|pages=913–914|doi=10.1557/mrs.2018.307|bibcode=2018MRSBu..43..913K|issn=0883-7694|doi-access=|s2cid=139946659 }} In this endeavor, eleven projects secured the full amount in government support. These projects each invented new ways to recycle used plastic products and prevent them from reaching landfills. In 2018, Queen Elizabeth II banned all single-use plastic items from her palaces.{{Cite news|url=https://mentalfloss.com/article/532043/queen-elizabeth-plastic-straw-ban-buckingham-palace|title=Sip on This: The Queen Has Banned Plastic Straws at Buckingham Palace|last=Ferro|first=Shaunacy|date=21 February 2018|work=Mental Floss|access-date=8 June 2018|archive-date=12 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143233/http://mentalfloss.com/article/532043/queen-elizabeth-plastic-straw-ban-buckingham-palace|url-status=dead}}

On 19 April 2018, ahead of Earth Day, a proposal to phase out single-use plastics was announced during the meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government. It is estimated that as of 2018, about 23 million straws are used and discarded daily in the UK.{{Cite news|url=https://time.com/5246692/uk-plastic-straws-ban/|title=The U.K. Might Want to Ban All Plastic Straws and Drink Stirrers So Savor Those Sips Today|last=Bruner|first=Raisa|date=19 April 2018|magazine=Time|access-date=8 June 2018}} In May 2019, England announced that it would ban single-use plastic straws, stirring sticks and cotton buds in April 2020: only registered pharmacies will be allowed to sell straws to the public, and restaurants may only offer them by request of customers.{{Cite news|last=Shukman|first=David|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-48358002|title=Government to set new controls on plastic straws|date=2019-05-22|work=BBC News|access-date=2020-02-18|language=en-GB}} The ban was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic and came into effect on 1 October 2020.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/8182d6db-f903-49a1-9e68-43341ad932ce|title=Plastic straws and stirrers ban delayed because of coronavirus|website=Financial Times|first=Judith|last=Evans|access-date=2020-04-16}}{{cite news |title=Plastic straw ban in England comes into force |work=BBC News |date=October 2020 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-54366461 |access-date=17 January 2022}}

====United States====

On February 10, 2025 President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14208 titled Ending Procurement and Forced Use of Paper Straws aimed at encouraging the U.S. government and consumers to buy plastic drinking straws, pushing back efforts by President Biden to phase them out.{{cite web |title=Trump signs executive order on plastic drinking straws |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-signs-executive-order-plastic-drinking-straws-2025-02-10 |url-access=subscription |website=Reuters |date=February 11, 2025}}

Additionally, Trump has called for an end to the "forced used of paper straws," blaming the Biden administration for pre-existing policy which "wasted American taxpayer dollars on virtue signaling instead of implementing effective solutions."{{cite web |last1=Trump |first1=Donald |title=Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Ends the Procurement and Forced Use of Paper Straws |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/02/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-ends-the-procurement-and-forced-use-of-paper-straws/ |website=whitehouse.gov |date=February 10, 2025}}

On 7 November 2017, the city of Santa Cruz, California, implemented a ban on all non-recyclable to-go containers, straws, and lids but allowed for 6 months for all businesses to come into compliance before enforcement would occur.{{cite press release|url=https://www.cityofsantacruz.com/Home/Components/News/News/5669/36|title=City Newsroom - the City of Santa Cruz|website=www.cityofsantacruz.com|access-date=6 August 2018}} On 1 January 2018, the city of Alameda, California, citing the Santa Cruz effort, implemented an immediate ban on all straws, except if requested by a customer, and gave business until 1 July 2018, when it would be required that all straws to be of compostable paper and that all other to-go containers be recyclable.{{Cite web |url=https://alamedaca.gov/go-green/news/2017/12/18/straws-upon-request-new-year |title=Straws Upon Request in the New Year |access-date=4 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804110129/https://alamedaca.gov/go-green/news/2017/12/18/straws-upon-request-new-year |archive-date=4 August 2018 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.alamedaca.gov/GOVERNMENT/Initiatives/Go-Green|title=Go Green|website=City of Alameda|access-date=16 April 2020|archive-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504224007/https://www.alamedaca.gov/GOVERNMENT/Initiatives/Go-Green|url-status=dead}}

A statewide California law restricting the providing of single-use plastic straws went into effect on 1 January 2019.{{cite news |last= Daniels |first= Jeff |title= California governor signs bill to reduce plastic straw use, cut waste 'choking our planet' |date= 21 September 2018 |access-date= 21 November 2018 |website= CNBC |url= https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/20/california-gov-jerry-brown-signs-bill-to-reduce-plastic-straw-use.html}} Under the law, restaurants are only allowed to provide single-use plastic straws upon request. The law applies to sit-down restaurants but exempts fast-food restaurants, delis, coffee shops, and restaurants that do takeout only.{{cite news |last= Filloon |first= Whitney |title= California Bans Restaurants From Automatically Giving Out Plastic Straws |date= 21 September 2018 |access-date= 21 November 2018 |website= Eater |url= https://www.eater.com/2018/9/21/17886256/california-straw-ban-plastic}} The law does not apply to-go cups and takeaway drinks.{{cite web |last= Brueck |first= Hilary |title= California just became the first US state to ban plastic straws in restaurants—unless customers ask |date= 21 September 2018 |access-date= 21 November 2018 |website= Business Insider |url= https://www.businessinsider.com/california-straw-ban-restaurants-what-you-need-to-know-2018-9}} A restaurant will receive warnings for its first two violations, then a $25 per day fine for each subsequent violation, up to a maximum of $300 in a year.{{cite news |last= Koseff |first= Alexei |title= You'll have to ask if you want a plastic straw in California under new law |date= 20 September 2018 |access-date= 21 November 2018 |newspaper= The Sacramento Bee |url= https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article218750285.html}} In a statement released upon his signing the legislation into law, then-Governor Jerry Brown said "It is a very small step to make a customer who wants a plastic straw ask for it. And it might make them pause and think again about an alternative. But one thing is clear, we must find ways to reduce and eventually eliminate single-use plastic products."{{cite web |last= Brown |first= Edmund G. Jr. |author-link= Jerry Brown |title= Assembly Bill 1884 Signing Message |date= 20 September 2018 |access-date= 21 November 2018 |website= Governor of California |url= https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/AB-1884-signing-message.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180921222201/https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/AB-1884-signing-message.pdf |archive-date= 21 September 2018 |url-status= dead }}

Local regulations have also been passed in Malibu, Davis and San Luis Obispo, California.

Laws which restrict the distribution of disposable plastic straws have been enacted in Maui County, Honolulu County, and Kauaʻi County.{{Cite web |title=County Disposable Plastic Policy |url=https://www.kauai.gov/Government/Departments-Agencies/Public-Works/Solid-Waste/Recycling/Plastic-Policy |access-date=2025-05-31 |website=www.kauai.gov |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2021-04-22 |title=Hawaii Says Goodbye to Conventional Plastic Straws and Aloha to UrthPact’s New Home-Compostable Straws! |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210422005604/en/Hawaii-Says-Goodbye-to-Conventional-Plastic-Straws-and-Aloha-to-UrthPacts-New-Home-Compostable-Straws |access-date=2025-05-31 |website=BusinessWire}} Hawaii County enacted a ban which additionally requires that all plastic-alternatives be compostable.{{Cite web |title=Plastic Straw Bans in Hawaii - How to stay Compliant |url=https://www.haystraws.com/pages/hawaii |access-date=2025-05-31 |website=HAY! Straws |language=en}}

Local regulations have been passed in Miami Beach and Fort Myers, Florida.

A ban on single-use straws has been instituted in Montgomery County, Maryland, going into full effect on 21 December 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/sws/skipthestraw/ |title=Montgomery County's Ban on Single-Use Straws |publisher=Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection |accessdate=2021-11-24}}

In 2015, Williamstown, Massachusetts, banned straws that are not recyclable or compostable as part of its Article 42 polystyrene regulations.{{Cite web|url=https://nebula.wsimg.com/8549f0c39ff600121423356ffb23f12a?AccessKeyId=1C31A3B4B1A73412F089&disposition=0&alloworigin=1|title=REDUCTION OF POLYSTYRENE|access-date=20 November 2018}}

In the first half of 2018, three towns in Massachusetts banned petrochemical plastic straws directly in the case of Provincetown, and as part of broader sustainable food packaging laws in Andover and Brookline.{{cite news |last1=Emily |first1=Norton |title=Should cities and towns ban plastic straws? |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/globelocal/2018/08/10/should-cities-and-towns-ban-plastic-straws/9TR82LRx4DSqJOBVWdGW8K/story.html |access-date=16 August 2018 |work=Boston Globe |date=10 August 2018}}

In 2019, Longmeadow, Massachusetts, banned plastic straws and polystyrene packaging.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thereminder.com/localnews/longmeadow/longmeadow-residents-vote-on-24-articles-at-town-m/|title=Longmeadow residents vote on 24 articles at Town Meeting|date=6 November 2019|access-date=6 November 2019}}

A drinking straw ban has been proposed in New York City since May 2018.{{cite news |last1=Levine |first1=Alexandra S. |title=New York Today: The Scourge of Plastic Straws |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/23/nyregion/new-york-today-plastic-straw-ban.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=16 June 2018 |language=en |date=23 May 2018}} Businesses are fined if a straw is provided (unless requested) and also fined if no plastic straws are available and also fined for other reasons regarding straws.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2021/05/13/city-passes-bill-limiting-single-use-plastic-straws-in-eateries|title=City Council passes bill limiting single-use plastic straws in eateries|website=www.ny1.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://reason.com/2021/10/04/new-yorks-straw-law-will-fine-business-for-giving-out-unsolicited-straws-and-also-for-not-having-enough-straws/|title=New York's Straw Law Will Fine Business for Giving Out Unsolicited Straws, and Also for Not Having Enough Straws|date=4 October 2021}}

The city of Seattle implemented a ban on non-compostable disposable straws on 1 July 2018.{{cite web |title=Food Service Packaging Requirements |url=https://www.seattle.gov/util/forbusinesses/solidwaste/foodyardbusinesses/commercial/foodpackagingrequirements/ |website=www.seattle.gov |publisher=Seattle Public Utilities |access-date=8 July 2018}}{{cite news |title=Seattle becomes the latest city to ban plastic straws and utensils |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/02/us/seattle-bans-plastic-straws-and-utensils/index.html |access-date=7 July 2018 |publisher=CNN}}

After consideration of a ban in the UK, in 2018, after a two-month trial of paper straws at a number of outlets in the UK,{{cite news |last1=Vaughan |first1=Adam |title=McDonald's to switch to paper straws in UK after customer campaign |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jun/15/mcdonalds-to-switch-to-paper-straws-in-uk-after-customer-concern |access-date=19 June 2018 |work=The Guardian |date=15 June 2018 |language=en}} McDonald's announced they would be switching to paper straws for all locations in the United Kingdom and Ireland.{{cite news |title=McDonald's to replace plastic straws with paper ones in UK and Ireland branches |url=https://news.sky.com/story/mcdonalds-to-replace-plastic-straws-with-paper-ones-in-uk-and-ireland-branches-11405254 |website=Sky News |access-date=16 June 2018 |date=15 June 2018}}{{cite news |last1=McMahon |first1=Aine |title=McDonald's to move from plastic to paper straws |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/mcdonald-s-to-move-from-plastic-to-paper-straws-1.3531676 |newspaper=The Irish Times |access-date=16 June 2018 |date=15 June 2018}}{{Cite news |title=McDonald's to ditch plastic straws |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-44492352 |newspaper=BBC News |access-date=16 June 2018 |date=15 June 2018}} and testing the switch in U.S. locations in June 2018.{{cite web |last1=Eitel |first1=Barry |title=McDonald's to test paper straws in US |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/mcdonald-s-to-test-paper-straws-in-us/1176165 |website=Anadolu Agency |access-date=16 June 2018 |date=16 June 2018}}

A month after the Vancouver ban passed (but before it took effect) Canada's second-largest fast food chain, A&W announced they would have plastic straws fully phased out by January 2019 in all of their locations.{{Cite news|url=https://www.660news.com/2018/06/08/major-fast-food-chain-eliminate-plastic-straws-years-end/|title=Major fast-food chain to eliminate plastic straws by year's end|date=8 June 2018|work=CFFR|access-date=8 June 2018}}

Various independent restaurants have also stopped using plastic straws.{{cite web|url=https://thelastplasticstraw.org/restaurant-directory/|title=Business Directory - The Last Plastic Straw|website=thelastplasticstraw.org|access-date=6 August 2018}}

Starbucks announced conversion by 2020 to no-straw lids for all cold drinks except for frappucinos, which will be served with straws made from paper or other sustainable materials.{{cite news|url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/starbucks-and-mcdonalds-plastic-straw-removal-will-go-down-well-with-millennials-2018-07-09|title=Starbucks and McDonald's plastic straw removal will go down well with millennials|first=Tonya|last=Garcia|newspaper=Marketwatch|access-date=6 August 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://fortune.com/2018/07/11/ditching-plastic-straws-replacements/|title=These 8 Companies Are Ditching Plastic Straws. Here's How They Are Replacing Them|website=fortune.com|access-date=6 August 2018}}

Hyatt Hotels announced straws would be provided by request only, starting 1 September 2018. Royal Caribbean plans to offer only paper straws on request by 2019, and IKEA said it would eliminate all single-use plastic items by 2020.{{cite news|url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-york-city-soda-drinkers-your-plastic-straws-could-be-an-endangered-species-2018-05-23|title=Starbucks joins McDonald's, IKEA, Seattle and Vancouver in ban on plastic straws|first=Maria|last=LaMagna|newspaper=Marketwatch|access-date=6 August 2018}} Other conversions include Waitrose, London City Airport,{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/01/travel/straw-bans-hotels-resorts.html|title=Bans on Plastic Straws Are Growing. But Is the Travel Industry Doing Enough?|date=May 2018|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=6 August 2018|last1=Graham|first1=Adam H.}} and Burger King UK stores starting September 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/burger-king-uk-phase-plastic-straws-commit-recyclable-packaging/|title=Burger King UK to Phase Out Plastic Straws and Commit to all Recyclable Packaging by 2025! - One Green Planet|date=12 June 2018|website=www.onegreenplanet.org|access-date=6 August 2018}} A few other cruise lines, air lines, beverage companies, and hotels, have also made partial or complete reductions, but most companies in those industries have not, as of May 2018.

Since plastic straws account only for a tiny portion (0.022%) of plastic waste emitted in the oceans each year, some pro-environment critics have argued that plastic straw bans are insufficient to address the issue of plastic waste, and are mostly symbolic.[https://www.ft.com/content/13523546-4496-11e8-803a-295c97e6fd0b Banning straws not enough to solve plastic pollution, May warned], Financial Times (20 April 2018)

Full bans on single-use plastic straws have faced opposition from disability rights advocates, as they feel that alternative materials are not well-suited for use by those with impaired mobility (caused by conditions such as cerebral palsy and spinal muscular atrophy). Some with neuromuscular disabilities may rely on a plastic straw for its heat resistance and due to an inability to lift a cup.{{Cite journal|last=Wong|first=Alice|date=2019-04-01|title=The Rise and Fall of the Plastic Straw: Sucking in Crip Defiance|url=https://catalystjournal.org/index.php/catalyst/article/view/30435|journal=Catalyst: Feminism, Theory, Technoscience|volume=5|issue=1|pages=1–12|doi=10.28968/cftt.v5i1.30435|issn=2380-3312|doi-access=free}} The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has required public places to provide plastic straws in order to ensure that those who need them will be able to access them.{{Cite journal|last=Schwieterman|first=Gail|date=2020-01-01|title=Water, water everywhere! Any to drink?|journal=Conservation Physiology|volume=8|issue=1|pages=coaa071|doi=10.1093/conphys/coaa071|pmid=32821393|pmc=7428448|issn=2051-1434|doi-access=free}} In particular, not all people with disabilities may be capable of washing reusable straws, straws made from inflexible materials are not capable of being repositioned, paper straws lose their firmness over time when soaked in a beverage, and straws made from hard materials such as metal can cause injuries. Advocates have preferred laws that still allow plastic straws to be offered upon request.{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/07/11/627773979/why-people-with-disabilities-want-bans-on-plastic-straws-to-be-more-flexible|title=Why People With Disabilities Want Bans On Plastic Straws To Be More Flexible|website=NPR.org|language=en|access-date=20 January 2020}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-10/plastic-straw-ban-condemned-by-disability-advocates/11287500|title='Yuppy activism': Disability advocates condemn plastic straw ban|last1=Dawes|first1=Samantha|last2=Keane|first2=Daniel|date=10 July 2019|website=ABC News|language=en-AU|access-date=20 January 2020}}{{Cite magazine|url=https://time.com/5335955/plastic-straws-disabled/|title='Disabled People Are Not Part of the Conversation.' Advocates Speak Out Against Plastic Straw Bans|magazine=Time|language=en|access-date=20 January 2020}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/11/world/europe/metal-straws-death.html|title=Fatal Accident With Metal Straw Highlights a Risk|last=Vigdor|first=Neil|date=11 July 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=20 January 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)—a U.S. conservative lobbying group against "excessive" regulation—has promoted model state bills which contain carve-outs for fast food and fast casual restaurants from straw bans (in effect only restricting "sit-down" restaurants), and restrict municipalities from preempting the rule with a stricter regulation (with the draft law text stating that the latter leads to "confusing and varying regulations that could lead to unnecessary increased costs for retail and food establishments to comply with such regulations").{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/how-business-groups-are-fighting-wave-anti-plastic-straw-laws-n977196|title=How business groups are fighting a wave of anti-plastic straw laws|website=NBC News|date=March 2019 |language=en|access-date=25 July 2019}} In 2019, the re-election campaign of U.S., Republican Party president Donald Trump marketed packages of reusable plastic straws branded with Trump's name and colored in the signature red associated with the "Make America Great Again" slogan, as a fundraising stunt. The campaign website promoted them as an alternative to "liberal paper straws".{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/29/trump-straws-plastic-sales-2020-campaign-fundraising|title=Trump re-election campaign raises $460,000 from selling plastic straws|last=Gabbatt|first=Adam|date=29 July 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=20 January 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/19/trump-2020-campaign-selling-10-plastic-straws-for-15.html|title=Trump's campaign offered 10 plastic straws for $15 because 'liberal paper straws don't work'—and they just sold out|last=Breuninger|first=Kevin|date=19 July 2019|publisher=CNBC|language=en|access-date=20 January 2020}}

In Miguel de Cervantes's novel, Don Quixote (1605, 1615), the narrator tells of an innkeeper who, because Don Quixote refuses to remove his makeshift helmet, fashions a drinking straw by hollowing out a reed and pours wine through it, suggesting that Don Quixote was not accustomed to this method of drinking."Don Quixote," tr. Edith Grossman (2003)

Nicholson Baker's novel, The Mezzanine (1988), includes a detailed discussion of various types of drinking straws experienced by the narrator and their relative merits.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

{{reflist|30em}}

{{Wiktionary}}

{{Commons category}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060503104210/http://beeradvocate.com/news/stories_read/595 History of beer and bread (and Sumerian straws)]
• [http://www.madehow.com/Volume-4/Drinking-Straw.html How plastic drinking straws are made]
• [https://www.strawlessocean.org/stopsucking/ #stopsucking campaign] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180710102431/https://www.strawlessocean.org/stopsucking/ |date=10 July 2018 }}

{{Bartending}}

Category:Cocktail garnishes

Category:Disposable products

Category:Eating utensils

Category:Plastics applications

Category:Products introduced in 1888