From coast to coast, bars everywhere are ditching the plastic straws in an effort to reduce their waste, from MGM Resorts in Las Vegas to hometown watering holes like Portland’s St. Jack restaurant and bar. It’s a great move. Food service establishments in the United States go through a whopping 500 million single-use plastic straws every day, and small plastic items like straws are a primary source of marine plastic pollution. Plus, come on: When’s the last time you thought “gosh, that little plastic straw sure looks classy?” Never.
Yet there are still many drinks that are just better with straws. Fortunately, you don’t have to give up your julep or sour in the name of saving the planet; there are lots of environmentally friendly options available (with the added benefit of looking a little classier, too). Here are some of our favorites for at-home imbibing.
Metal straws
These stainless steel straws last for thousands of uses, and come packaged with a slick little pipe cleaner to clean out the inside. They’re also pretty slick looking in highball glasses (check out the photography in Jim Meehan’s Bartender Manual if you don’t believe us).
Paper straws
These paper straws aren’t reusable, but they are fully compostable, yet tough enough to stand up to a drink. That means you won’t have to worry about cleaning or storing them, so they’re ideal for big parties, small houses, or people who just hate doing dishes. Plus, their barber pole striping gives drinks a classic soda shop look.
Glass straws
They sound fragile, but these borosilicate glass straws are actually quite sturdy, at least according to all the Amazon reviews. The set comes with two straight straws and two bent ones—options!
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Bamboo straws
It’s hard to imagine a better reusable straw option for tiki drinks than these bamboo straws. Imported from Indonesia, these might be the most environmentally friendly option of all, since they’re sustainably grown, reusable, and fully biodegradable.
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