Plastic Straws

[MamanManon]

I keep hearing about the ban on plastic straws. 3 of my friends use now reusable straws and one of them told me that she likes the metal straws with silicone tips for her boy.
What’s your views on this? Has anyone looked into this for the family ? Any recommendations? Thanks

How often do you use straws?
We hardly ever use them.
We have plastic ones that came with a glass set but all we use them for is hulling strawberries!
There is a set on amazon that’s a mix of silicone and stainless steel, with a brush and I think a storage bag. It’s the one I thought I’d buy before I realised we don’t actuslly need them!

We have metal straws with silicone tips and are pleased with them. I just keep them in a fabric pencil case in my bag and whip them out when needed! They're good for the environment, go in the dishwasher and are easy to carry around. they're also much nicer to drink from than the paper straws that some restaurants are giving out now.

Unless a disability makes them a necessity, I don't understand why you would be using straws enough that changing them makes a difference.

I'm not keen on the idea of re-usable ones though. When dc were little a couple of times they had a gift of a cup with a 're-usable' straw in it - they grew mould quite quickly as it is very difficult to clean inside.

Thanks for your messages @ bluecarrot, @backfor good and @Ca55andraMortmain
Good points! It is more for my 4 years old. He loves drinking with a straw and I sometimes join him and use one when I make a smoothie. I would say every so often.
I am thinking if plastic straws are going to be removed from the market I should start making the switch now- that why I was wondering.
I have just looked on Amazon and there is only a couple of them with silicone tips and offering a fabric storage bag.
@Ca55andraMortmain - Were your kid(s) fine to make the switch with metal straws straight away?

Yeah DD was fine about it. I think the silicone makes it feel nicer in her mouth than a plain steel straw. We have Kleen Kanteen ones.

I've seen a few things on social media about people using pasta straws.

Bucatini I think is the shape.

Thanks- Will look into it

Much much better for your teeth to drink using a straw too.

If that help, I have recently bought those 3 Flamingos straws with silicone tips on Amazon and I got a thumbs up from my little princesses!

@pastabest, do you mean using the bucatini pasta as a straw? Have you tried this?
@lilirosesandres, thanks for the reco- the straws seem well rated by the family.

No not tried it just seen a few things on social media about it.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-bristol-44008960/pasta-straws-replace-plastic-at-bristol-restaurant

Unless they start making gluten free ones they won't be much use in my house anyway sadly!

I always have straws because I hate drinking fizzy without a straw. It offers some level of protection for my teeth.

I bought metal ones with a scrubber to clean inside, on amazon for about £3. They come with me everywhere now :)

Thanks for sharing ClaryFray.
@pastabest, thanks for the link- I have not heard of it. I found the concept of sipping through a pasta quite amusing. If this gets popular in restaurants, I am sure they will do a gluten free version. Kids would love that.

The good thing about the metal straws is that they can be reusable thanks to the brushes.

I bought some metal ones & they've been really handy today at the beach as DD(aged 2) can't drink out of a bottle without slopping it all down her front. It was actually quite refreshing tbh.

My toddler is straw obsessed. We have silicone ones, but I wouldn't recommend them - after about two months they have begun to taste a bit funny despite using the brush thing to clean them out.

They just seem unnecessary to me. No straw has to be better for the environment than any ethical straw.

Backforgood sensitive teeth/if you are drinking sweet things it is better for your teeth to drink through a straw.

Thanks for sharing.
@Surinamtoad - Good to know - Are you referring to pure silicone straws or ones with silicone tips?

Sorry I wasn't clear, I meant the pure silicone ones.

We use the stainless steel straws. They 're great and come with a tiny brush to clean them. BUT visitors think they're disposable I think because all but one have been thrown away. So I'm buying paper ones next time!

We have a set of the stainless steel ones, came with two little brushes. No carrying case but I'm planning on whipping one up next time I have some spare fabric. They are really nice to drink out of because they get cold when you put them in an icy drink, it feels more refreshing. No DC in our house yet though, I would definitely look into silicone tipped ones for kids, the steel ones are very hard although well smoothed and it wouldn't take much for an accident to happen.

I use straws as I have an upper limb disability and struggle with moving cups to drink, so at home o predominantly use the plastic reuseable cups with built in straws, but on the go the steel are awesome.

I just use metal straws, for fizzy drink to protect my teeth. But don't use them very often other wise. I've started giving them back to the cashier when given them in restaurants.