People often talk about swapping out plastic straws for other materials to help the ocean/fish and the environment, but they also complain about paper straws falling apart easily. Other alternatives that are slightly more sturdy like straws made of straw don’t seem very common.
But do we even need straws? My first reaction was that any liquid can be drunk directly from the vessel it’s in, and straws just add another level of convenience. If we don’t want to use plastic straws and the alternatives mostly suck (actually all straws suck 🤓), why not just ditch straws entirely?
In private I usually use silicone straws which can be washed and reused. I also have some stainless steel and glass ones, but I prefer the bendy silicone.
For me it’s a personal preference using them for cocktails and drinks with ice in them. Also they prevent smearing of lipstick and makeup.
In general there might be more valid reasons like taking a sip while driving or for disabilities. I don’t think there is really a reason to question the invention itself, they are useful in my opinion. The problem is just single use plastic straws.