#environmentalist
#environmentalist
Comments
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it's weird how presumably neurotypical people complain about paper straws feeling weird, but my autistic ass couldn't give less of a shit about their texture.
do you chew on them, or what?
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The odd time I end up eating fast food and getting a paper straw, it's the fact that it goes mushy before I finish my drink. I think that's the texture issue people are talking about.
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that takes like half an hour though, and affects the bottom end.
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The really bad experiences I've had with straws is at movie theatres. In that case you're given a pretty big drink in a flimsy cup, and you're slowly drinking it over a couple of hours.
There's no way that the paper straw holds up in those circumstances. You also don't want to drink without the straw, because the cup is so flimsy that if you try to drink from it like a regular cup/glass it's likely to collapse. I have permanent metal / rubber straws at home, but of course I never remember to bring them with me when I go to a movie, since I only go a couple of times a year.
The only solution I've found is to take 3-4 paper straws with me, and change them out over the course of the movie.
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Fast food implies fast drink, you're not supposed to let it soak in there like it's a hot tub.
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Not all autism are the same, some with autism will hyperfix on the environment and not give a shit about the texture, like me.
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I think they've gotten better, or the ones a lot of people are familiar with are just kinda miserable. I'm most familiar with the ones from when I worked at Disney's Animal Kingdom like fifteen years ago. They were texturally kinda strange and would get mushy at the top partway through an American-sized soda. They used those straws because the regular plastic ones could have been harmful to some of the animals in the park and I was lead to believe that those straws were pretty common in zoos in general.
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I think there was only one time that I had a paper straw and thought that it was good enough. But it felt... expensive? In my mouth. Like you could tell they hated to have to shell out for that. Just to have straws that are possibly as acceptable replacement.
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Not neurotypical, but yes, I do chew on them.
I ended up going with silicone straws in my household. Mine open up down the side so you can run your finger up them for easy cleaning.
The metal and hard plastic ones suck for chewing on.
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We have metal ones with a silicone nib on the end. Perfect for chewing on.
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do you chew on them, or what?
Maybe... Is it that weird?
I always chewed on pens in school too. Hmm.
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My only problem with them is you need a spare.
That and why is there still a plastic lid, and I dont think that the cup is recyclable due to the coating.
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And I just hate every straw because they change the texture of the bubbles, which I realize it's a very autistic thing to say
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I don'5 really understand complains about paper straws, i never had problems with them!
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I guess you could say I use a reusable straw
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Please don't do that. A lot of garden hoses are made of junk plastic, which leaches along with metals into the water.
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Those are flavor crystals
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Could that be mostly alleviated by running it for half a minute before drinking?
Earwigs came out of mine once, so I always wait for those to stop coming out.
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The brand on that hose is more expensive. https://www.eleyhosereels.com/collections/garden-hoses/products/5-8-polyurethane-garden-hose
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Found the Gen X-er. Good day to you, my fellow hose-water connoisseur.
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Mmm I can still taste the metal.
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Am I the only one still cupping my hand under the tap?
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Diogenes would be proud.
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No, I do that a lot. Lol
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You mean hose right?
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You mean prehistoric mountain stream, right?
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Remember when people lost it because disabled people wouldn't be able to drink again and then they all died of dehydration after these draconian straw laws severely impacted my day
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I remember when disability rights groups pointed out that these laws were placing extra burden on disabled people that weren't being put on everyone else.
These laws accomplish nothing except make liberals feel good that they actually passed some kind of environmental rules. Meanwhile, conservatives are making sure they can legally torture gay kids, let billionaires get away with pedophilia, and burn lots and lots of coal. But we passed straw bans in a couple of cities. Yay us.
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I mean it would actually impact my ability to hydrate certain patients under certain circumstances if there really ever 0 plastic straws anywhere ever.
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Just hang their drink on the IV pole, spike it with a line, and put the other end in their mouth!
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What happened to those Italian pasta straws? They looked promising.
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Straws are to prevent ice from sliding into your face
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Skill issue. Just stick your lips out further.
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Just open wider, ice is a nice crunchy treat!
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As a person with skin surrounding his skull, I don't really get why that's an issue.
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Mah lips be hurting from the big chill
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Plus they help keep your mustache dry!
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Here in the house we have re-usable, washable plastic straws.
Out and about I'll use the disposable straws because the whole turtle-death thing was over-exaggerated. (Microplastics from automotive tires are killing us, though. There are real great filters to be navigated)
I also just don't eat out much, especially since the 2020 lockdown.
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We have silicone ones but I don't like them as they retain the taste of washing up liquid on them
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You can release some of the stuck on flavors from silicone by heating it in the oven to 250°F/120°C for 20-30 minutes.
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Not sure how up to date this is, but synthetic fibers are the #1 source of micro plastics, followed by car tires and city dust. Car tires are absolutely a contributor and we should cut our reliance on personal transportation for more reasons than just micro plastics. In addition, we need to move away from polyester, nylon and a slew of other materials.
Most household furnishings used to be made of natural fibers. These days carpets, couch covers and filling, curtains, clothing, etc are often derived from a petrochemical. I suspect oil companies will continue to pivot into these areas to continue as we very slowly ween ourselves of gasoline.
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This raises a big question of what the heck comprises city dust. Is there a microplastic element to concrete or asphalt? Is it just more tire deterioration? City dust is a conspicuously vague category.
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the only "straws" i use now are the built-in straws on my water bottles. when dad was dying, he had drop-neck and bendy straws let him drink on his own. something about both being a straw and at whatever angle he needed for his mouth, since he rarely stood or sat entirely upright. he could not drink directly from a glass without burying his nose in it or spilling half of it. for me it's not one of those "hey, now that this effects me" bullshits, it's more "hey, now that i understand how necessary they are in specific contexts" bullshits.
if they can make a corn or paper bendy straw that functions properly, i'm all for it. until then, there are much bigger and better things to worry about than straws.
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Thank you for this perspective because I'm one of those who never saw the appeal to straws.
I just wanna say that paper straws are lined with PFAS and similar substances, I would NOT use them at all. Mark my words they'll be banned in the EU in 20 years.
I'd rather try a pasta straw, if the metal ones are not viable. If using plastic, prefer a more rigid plastic if possible, Policarbonate (like in a Nalgene bottle) is safer than Polyethylene; or at least I would avoid them with hot drinks.
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I hate that restaurants will give me (non bendy) straws even when I specifically ask to not get a straw.
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It might sound silly, but sippy cups are also an option. You can lift and drink from the cup without spilling that way
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No, no they aren't.
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Iced drink tend to taste better with straw tbh, sipping from the cup mean you're taking in watered down stuff, and also tiny ice or ice blocking the flow of the drinks.
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I feel like this might be an American problem, with straws being more necessary for drinking in cars, which are all too common there.
I rarely drive and basically never drink out of a straw, there's just no point when you can drink directly out of the cup.
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I feel like this might be an American problem
Fast Food Nation, the paper/plastic cups are flimsy and need a lid for structure.
We get so used to it that when we eat out, we want straws.
I've never really cared. IF they bring wrapped straws, i'll generally not open it and stash it in my car for the next time a fast food straw breaks. If it's open, I use it because it seems more of a waste to throw it away unused.
There probably is some decent point to the server groping all over the outside of your glass or the dishwasher handling it, but i'm not really a germophobe.
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If you want like a mixed drink or a pop out of a glass while lying on the couch or in bed a straw is useful too, thats the only time i ever use them. My fiance likes a ton of ice in everything she drinks so she uses our metal straws for everything. I still prefer drinking out a can or a bottle with a screw on cap for most things when im lying down.
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I bought a 4-pk of glass straws for €5 and they are awesome. The rounded edge feels smooth on the tongue/lips and drinks taste better through glass than metal.
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I would probably break them in a way or another
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I'd be worried about breaking them if I take them places. Do they hold up well?
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The ones I've handled and bought are more robust than most other glassware. They can break if dropped on hard floor, but that's normal for anything out of glass.
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Of the 4, only one has gotten scratched to the point that I recycled it (manufacturing error methinks), but the other 3 are holding up well. I've had them for a little over a year. They seem durable enough.
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After reading about that lady who died because she fell on a metal straw and impaled her eye and brain I threw away my metal straws.
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Bamboo straws make you feel like you're on some exotic, tropical island!
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In all seriousness, there's some drinks that need a straw
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Which ones would that be?
I genuinely can't think of anything I can drink with a straw that I wouldn't rather drink without one 🤷
Edit: I sit corrected. Turns out there's a LOT of beverages best enjoyed with a straw, but it just so happens that all of them are things that I very rarely if ever partake in, so they weren't front of mind for me 🤷
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Also anything with tapioca pearls/other mix-ins
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Frappé coffe, my own stimulant of choice.
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A thick milkshake would be very awkward without one
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Anything with floating Ice Cubes / Anything Iced.
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But how do you snort cocain with a glass? I have metal straws.
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Please enlighten me, why do u even need a straw, can't you just drink from the cup, like in the bottom pic?
Im genuinly wondering.
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Using a straw when drinking sugary/ acidic drinks is supposed to be better for your teeth since it limits the exposure of sugar or acid to your teeth. Not sure how true that is, but I have had dentists suggest it as a way of lowering the chance of getting cavities.
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Some people have disabilities
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Fair point, but this is presumably about the 99.9998% other straw users.
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Many fast food cups lack the structural integrity to hold the quantity of liquid that they're supposed to without a lid, and using a lid necessitates using a straw
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When your drink cup has a bunch of ice, it's easier to drink from with a straw.
One extremely far-fetched reason for using straws I've heard is that it's somehow more hygienic than putting your mouth on restaurant cups.
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it's somehow more hygienic than putting your mouth on restaurant cups.
That is why i only get food in places with disposable plates and cutlery ;)
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Everyone replying to you so far seems to be forgetting how you can just put a tiny hole on one edge of the lid to drink through without big ice chunks coming through
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Some people can't hold objects with any dexterity due to disabilities etc. So they use straws.
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Sure, you could, absolutely. There are times when it is convenient to have one. For example, most fast food establishments will provide you a drink cup with a lid and straw. You could just rip the lid off and drink it normally, but if you are driving (which you probably are if you are getting fast food) and want a sip of your drink, it's a lot easier to just grab the cup and take a sip through a straw than it is to grab the open container and tilt it. Not to mention the chance you might hit a bump or brake hard and have it spill, either while you are trying to drink from it or even just when it's sitting in the cupholder if partially full.
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I get it but its rather ableist.
Also you never tried drinking from a fast food drink cup full of ice. Freezes your damn lips.
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How's it ableist? Genuinely asking.
(I have moderate cerebral palsy/spastic hemiplegia)
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Or a milkshake.
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Drink slower.
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You need a fucking glass for you water? Pussy.
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Real men dunk their entire head in a lake and drink enough water for the next week in 15 seconds.
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Lol wat
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Basically, there is very little study / regulation on PFAS and other harmful chemicals on really everything. However most food contact materials (FCM) are full of the stuff. It's almost always better to bypass and not use single use FMCs. The more of them you remove from your use, the less you pollute and the less you expose yourself to harmful chemicals.
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Kinda late now for most adults but didn't hurt to minimize exposure
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Just use trough food and drink in one easy to clean vessle
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Reusable straws are gross. Unless you are taking a brush to the inside every time you're kidding yourself.
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Pssh, my straw is reusable AND probiotic
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Yes that is what I do. I treat them like any other dish I use for eating. The side that touches the food gets scrubbed (also the other side im not gross). And every time I bought metal straws they came with a brush.
I also just love the feeling of metal straws when drinking cold drinks because they also get cold. The drink just feels colder if the straw is also cold
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Don't you need to use the metal straws some ridiculous amount of times before it saves more carbon than the plastic single use?
Also, plastic multi use is probably better.
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That depends on the goal here. I don’t think the main benefit of removing plastic straws is a lesser co2 impact. Its less plastic garbage and environmental pollition.
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I rarely use straws, only in cases where it's more convenient enough, like when I got a liter of cola at the cinema.
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'Can I get uuuuuhhhh burger and ah literah cola?' 'Burger and liter of cola, it's for a cop'
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The only bad thing about a metal straw is the stray ceiling tile that falls on your head. Well there is probably several bad things about a metal straw, not something a skateboarder can carry in their pocket.
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I'm sorry, what? Did you have a stroke?
Or maybe I'm having a stroke while reading this?
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Not a stroke, autocorrect, yellow submarine 6 7.
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You can also use a chive leaf as a straw. It'll affect the taste, but it's fun to eat it afterwards
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Seattle has commercially compostable plastic straws. They feel pretty much like plastic but are kind of matte. Even the single use forks/knives/spoons from restaurants are like that. But then again we do large scale compost across the city.
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Boba is the only reason i use straws.
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Good lord the capitalization choices in this make my head hurt.
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Haha I never paid attention to it until now but yes that is atrocious.
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Dumpy makes memes Now?
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This my friend, is a pint.
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Seattle has commercially compostable plastic straws. They feel pretty much like plastic but are kind of matte. Even the single use forks/knives/spoons from restaurants are like that. But then again we do large scale compost across the city.
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I actually like paper straws. No texture concerns, and once you're done? Crinkle up into a ball and chew. Like edible, paper-flavoured gum.
"Sir, this is a sperm bank"
I see. So you're telling me this is not a straw and those are not boba balls?