Ugh, even a cold drink warms up quickly without ice. Don’t know how people drink it. I do ask them not to fill up the whole cup with ice, but a half cup is good. I guess I’m stubborn. Not giving up straws.
Just double-checked the plastic straws I use–they are recyclable.
“plastic straws are not recyclable. Plastic straws are made from polypropylene, which is a byproduct of petroleum, a fossil fuel that requires an incredible amount of energy and natural resources to extract and refine. Polypropylene is identifiable by the resin identification code 5 and is commonly recyclable, just often not in drinking straw format. Size is the biggest barrier to straw recycling. As plastic travels down conveyor belts while being sorted, small items like bottle caps and straws fall through the cracks and end up being sent to the landfill. As of right now there aren’t many (if any) special straw-recycling facilities either, which means when you use a straw, you know that plastic will sit in a landfill for years to come.”
https://livegreen.recyclebank.com/because-you-asked-what-s-so-bad-about-plastic-straws
“Most cold drinks in the USA are already very cold without ice. And you get more beverage for your $”
I ask for my ice on the side as they never seem to put enough in - but i never order anything but water (unless it’s an alcohol beverage) and it’s never cold enough for my liking,
Sipping on straws can cause wrinkle around ones’s mouth. http://www.marieclaire.com/beauty/news/a15724/do-straws-cause-wrinkles/
Mine are marked with a 4 for recycling.
And as for wrinkles guess you don’t get to drink out of a water bottle either.
Many things marked aren’t actually recyclable in many places.
“And as for wrinkles guess you don’t get to drink out of a water bottle either.”
Yep. The whole straw/water bottle thingy came up for me years ago because I play tennis and we all brought water bottles with us when we played. I now use a large thermal cup and take the lid off.
Milo used to be my son’s friend until they moved out of town (too bad). Extremely smart kid, was homeschooled and traveled a lot with his mom for many years. I’d love to find out what college he ends up in.
For those of you who don’t want to give up on straws, there are reusable ones
https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Straws-Stainless-NON-TOXIC-non-plastic/dp/B009ZOYCA6
There are silicone ones as well. I’ve had sensitive teeth before so I understand not wanting to give them up (I bugged the dentist a lot to please find the bad tooth, eventually fixed). Fortunately, I don’t need them anymore.
For those of you who don’t have access to the Washington Post, just clear your browser history, close your browser, and open it again. You’ll find that you have free access to 10 articles. When that runs out, simply repeat the process.
It’s not like the Wall Street Journal, which has a real paywall.
Ted’s uses paper straws but they grate on my teeth so I choose to sip at their restaurants.
No straws for me! Thanks for promoting this campaign.
I just wonder how well one cleans the reusable straws–stainless steel and other materials ones. The hole is so small it would be tough to put anything in it to brush the sides. Pipe cleaners tend to be too short. Hmm
@himom See the link in post #28. They come with their own little brushes made to fit inside. Easy peasy.
I only use straws in restaurants. For health reasons, I don’t want to put my mouth on the cup.
I have a hard straw I can bring with me but I always forget the damn thing when I go out 
Another vote for stainless steel straws here. We have a cat who loooooves plastic straws and will steal them out of your drink the moment you turn your back. Or right in front of your face. Or, in fact, while you are in the act of bringing the drink to your mouth. 
He particularly likes the bendy ones because they flip around unpredictably when you play with them.
He leaves the stainless steel ones alone, however, which is why we switched to them. If we end up with a plastic one from a take-away drink, we bring it home for the cat. Otherwise, stainless steel all the way.
We bought a box of biodegradable straws, but they are essentially thickish paper and get soggy while you use 'em. Essentially, they start the biodegrading process while in use!
We bought a set of metal julep cups many, many years ago and have used the metal straws that came with them exclusively for all drinks ever since. Nice to find out we’ve been doing the right thing in ignorance. I rarely use a straw, though, due to the wrinkle concern noted on the previous page. I’ll take my chances with the germs on the cup.
Oh dear - another new thing to be guilt-tripped about.
We never use straws at home, but we commonly get served them in restaurants whether we ask for them or not. I use them in fast-food places because I like to cover my drink with a plastic lid to prevent spillage, particularly when taking the drink out “to go.” And a straw is the only way to drink the soda when you’ve got a plastic lid on the cup. I’m fine with it if they want to bring paper straws back. But are plastic lids now a sin too?
@Scipio No guilt trip. If it works for you fine, if it doesn’t fine. It was something I didn’t really focus on but can easily give up without thinking twice. Perhaps with time, drinks can be dispensed in packaging that doesn’t require straws. Look at progress that has been made in other areas just because awareness was raised and packaging altered with little to zero downside to the consumer. Packaging in many areas is so much better than it used to be. Sorry if little baby steps cause you to feel guilt. 