OT: Paper straws | The Boneyard

OT: Paper straws

Fishy

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I mean, I get the concern over plastic straws. But I got a paper straw in a drink with a plastic cup and plastic top. Huh?

Is there anything worse than a paper straw? I would rather go without straws.

But there is actually a reason why you got a paper straw in a plastic cup with a plastic lid.

The plastic cup and the plastic lid are recyclable. The plastic straw is technically recyclable, but most recycling facilities do not accept plastic straws because they tend to fall into the machinery and screw things up.

Plus, someone once took a picture of a turtle with a straw in its nose once and there is no coming back from that.
 

RayIsTheGOAT

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I've had to use a paper straw once, at the UConn library cafe. It was the single most useless thing I've ever used in my life. The thing just disintegrated into my drink.

I blame our conference affiliation. ACC schools surely have working paper straws.
 

UConnNick

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Mr. McGuire: I want to say one word to you. Just one word.
Benjamin: Yes, sir.
Mr. McGuire: Are you listening?
Benjamin: Yes, I am.
Mr. McGuire: Plastics.
Benjamin: Exactly how do you mean?
Mr. McGuire: There's a great future in plastics. Think about it. Will you think about it?
 

Edward Sargent

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I mean, I get the concern over plastic straws. But I got a paper straw in a drink with a plastic cup and plastic top. Huh?
It may have something to do with single stream recycling. Plastic straws and the small plastic caps on bottles can gum up (not a scientific term) the system. Not sure how but I read that they just end up not being part of the recycled stream and are disposed of as ordinary trash. In any event it can be a major cost item for recycling. For straws I just don't use them any more. For plastic bottle caps I just toss them in the garbage and recycle the bottle. I live in Florida so I drink a lot of water and I am outdoors a lot so I am more and more relying on personal water bottles which I wash and reuse.
 

Dream Jobbed 2.0

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I just saw an ad for a silicone straw that you wear as a bracelet (it has a cover). Neat idea?
 
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We have metal straws at home. Came with a mini brush to clean the inside. We didn't understand why some of them came with a rubber coating until my kids tried to drink smoothies out of them. They looked like Flick in A Christmas Story. Those things get cold! Pretty easy way to do our part though.
 

intlzncster

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In any event it can be a major cost item for recycling. For straws I just don't use them any more. For plastic bottle caps I just toss them in the garbage and recycle the bottle. I live in Florida so I drink a lot of water and I am outdoors a lot so I am more and more relying on personal water bottles which I wash and reuse.

Legit better for you anyway. Those plastic bottles have been sitting a while and heated/cooled enough times to get some decent leaching going. That's a good way to grow bitch tits. Estrogen city.

There's all kinds of biodegradable straws these days. Most can't be thrown on the compost heap tho.
 

uconnbill

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Paper straws are a way to make people feel like they're doing something wonderful for the environment. Businesses will use them for but have stated they are mostly garbage.

I live in a city that is changing from plastic bags to paper which everyone agrees with. Now he is the rub. They want the businesses to charge a dime a bag which going back to the business and if they don't they will be fined $45 dollars per incident.
 

CL82

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It's not a concern about plastic. More about plastic straws constantly getting stuck in the nostrils of sea animals, dolphins, turtles, etc.

Or something like that....
 

Edward Sargent

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Legit better for you anyway. Those plastic bottles have been sitting a while and heated/cooled enough times to get some decent leaching going. That's a good way to grow bitch tits. Estrogen city.

There's all kinds of biodegradable straws these days. Most can't be thrown on the compost heap tho.
Nah I am a toxicologist. The whole plastic leaching estrogenic compounds is fake science. We can debate it but not here
 

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