If you’re looking to live a more sustainable life then one very simple decision you can make to help protect the environment is converting from plastic straws to stainless steel reusable straws.
If you are a regular user of plastic straws, the accumulation of plastics in landfills and oceans is seen in shocking statistics of millions of tons piling up annually.
It’s difficult to imagine what the end result of doing nothing to reduce dependency on plastics would be.
Enter the use of reusable straws like silicone, glass, stainless steel and bamboo straws that help us take part in the effort to save our planet.
Why Should I Move to Stainless Steel Drinking Straws?
Stainless steel is one of the derivatives of metal naturally created by earth minerals. This is a clue of how to choose reusable drinking straws.
Seek out types of reusable drinking straws you can identify as originating from organic sources.
For example, copper is another of the metals safely used for drinking straws if they are lined with nickel.
Such is the case with stainless steel drinking straws. Stainless steel is made from earth’s natural ore, iron and basic elements found in the earth.
Other basic elements include:
- Nickel
- Nitrogen
- Manganese
- Carbon
- Chromium
Stainless steel drinking straws are made from 18.5 stainless steel that is a food grade quality of 304 stainless steel, non-corrosive, rust proof and scratch proof.
It is highly durable and manufactured in several sizes.
Why are Stainless Steel Straws Better for Me Than Plastic?
Plastic straws are not biodegradable.
Even those that claim to be biodegradable do not degrade quickly and pile up in landfills or are carelessly thrown into ponds, streams, rivers, lakes and oceans.
Plastic straws contain chemicals that, although they may be food grade quality at the outset, eventually leach chemicals that are hazardous to human health.
Stainless Steel Drinking Straws vs. Other Reusable Alternatives ?
Pros:
Stainless steel drinking straws are the most durable among reusable drinking straws.
They are designed to be tall enough for large drinking containers, fully dishwasher safe and easy to clean.
They are excellent for use with cold drinks because they keep drinks colder longer.
They are sold with a cleaning brush to remove residue buildup like pulp and berry seeds from fruit juices.
They are 100 percent environmentally safe and eco friendly.
Cons:
Stainless steel is solid, hard metal that can cause injury to the mouth if carelessly used.
Don’t jam a stainless steel straw into the mouth and ensure that children are also aware of this.
All metals conduct heat including stainless steel.
Stainless steel straws should not be used for very hot drinks unless they have a silicone tip.
This is true of all metal straws.
Stainless Steel Straws for Hot Drinks
UK package designers have come up with a clever answer to stainless straws for use with hot drinks.
By attaching an eco-friendly silicone flexible straw tip, users don’t need to touch the steel surface of the straw.
Coloured Stainless Steel Straws
Stainless straws are available in various colours.
This is an idea that encourages children to use them.
The choice of colours range include rose, blue, gold, green, purple, silver and even multi-coloured.
These are sold with flexible and non-flexible tips.
Go for the Gold Straws
There is nothing quite as appealing to the eye as a gold stainless straw.
Gold straws add elegance to beverage glasses for casual or formal use.
Hosts and hostesses love them for formal pre-dinner cocktails served on a pretty gold coloured stainless steel tray.
Metal Cocktail Straws
Metal cocktail straws make a style statement when they accompany several choices of cocktails.
In crystal cocktail glasses, they add sparkle to the cocktail hour.
They give champagne cocktails, aperitifs and after dinner liqueurs a rich look.
Short Metal Straws
Stainless straws are sold in short metal sizes.
These are ideal for children’s cups and also for short drink glasses of up to five ounces.
They serve double duty as stirrers as well as for sipping drinks.
These have rounded edges for safety. They are sold in extra short sizes of five inches.
Long Metal Straws
Long metal straws are designed to accommodate drink containers of eight ounces or more.
They are available in 12 and 14 inches and wide for smoothies and beverages that have a thick texture.
Top Five Brands with Reviews
In the UK, Senhai is rated among the top five brands of stainless straws.
Others include:
- Lakeland Joie
- Klean Kanteen
Elsewhere the top brands include:
- Decodyne
- SIPWELL
Senhai Stainless Straws
Available in several convenient sizes.
Two cleaning brushes are include with a two-pack set of straws.
They received customer ratings of four stars out of 184 reviews from 61% of buyers who purchased them.
Customers raved in comments about their usefulness to help them protect the environment.
Lakeland Joie Stainless Straws
Received a five-star rating among nine customers who purchased them with 89% approval.
Purchased in packs of eight, one customer review stated the customer used it for coffee while another reviewer praised it for use with healthful oil beverages.
These reviews show that these straws can be used for hot drinks and those with thicker consistencies.
Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Straws
Received 4.5 out of 5 stars from 203 customer reviews and 75% of reviewers.
The reviews were for the Klean Kanteen 5-Piece Set with Safe Silicone Flex Tip and cleaning brush included.
Review comments mentioned the colourful tips and the sturdy design.
Decodyne Straws
These stainless straws received customer ratings of 4.6 out 5-stars from 674 customer who purchased and used them.
This represents 79 percent of 674 customers who purchased a set of six with two cleaning brushes included.
SIPWELL
The SipWell Extra Long Stainless Straws received a customer rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars.
This was from a whopping 7686 customers who purchased a set of four straws for 30 ounce tumbler and 20 ounce tumbler sizes.
This represents 84 percent of the 7686 reviews.
Conclusion
The days of plastic straws are ending and the environment couldn’t be more grateful for the efforts being made. In years to come, future generations will also be grateful to our path toward sustainability.
Very good site you have here but I was curious if you knew of any
forums that cover the same topics talked about in this article?
I’d really love to be a part of group where I can get advice from
other knowledgeable people that share the same interest. If you
have any recommendations, please let me know.
Cheers!
Hey Edna, great to hear from you.
In terms of forums and communities I’d head over to facebook – they have made great groups that you can join.