Spartan Scroll

by Ivy Xu

After a recent bill banned plastic straws, metal alternatives offer users a more ecologically-friendly option.

Metal straws are known to be eco-friendly and their popularity has grown after public outcry from a viral video of a sea turtle with a plastic straw stuck in its nose. This video caught the attention of many people and created a discussion on the effect of plastic straws on marine life. According to aza.org, “straws are particularly prone to ending up in our waterways, [and] replacing cheap and disposable plastic straws with reusable stainless steel, glass, or biodegradable paper alternatives is an easy way to cut down on plastic pollution.” 

Metal straws are reusable and have the added benefit of retaining the temperature of a drink without melting. They also provide many benefits that plastic straws do not, such as durability and longevity.

Although metal straws may seem expensive compared to plastic straws, with prices usually ranging from $3 to $12, the cost is a small price to pay for the environment’s health. Some may say that this is not important and not worth the money when single-use straws are only five cents. But metal straws are an investment that can be used for years. Users pay for the metal straw once and then they would not need to spend money for another one. Even if metal straws still seem expensive to some, Laura Parker, in an article on nationalgeographic.com explains that plastic straws are the top 10 types of plastic that pollute the ocean because “Americans use 500 million straws daily,” which makes the need for an alternative more compelling.

Though it may seem like using plastic straws does not have a major impact on the environment, slowly cutting plastic from daily use can help us take a step to being more environmentally conscious.