The next best alternative is to NO STRAW is REUSABLE STRAW, but REUSE is activity and STRAW is a product. It's possible to dispose a reusable straw after single use. That has been for quite some time now, the best example is the reusable bags for retail. Stay tuned as we bridge this gap between the product and its utility.
Resource Recovery & Sustainable Materials Management/Manager of Waste and Recycling at Villanova University/TRUE Advisor for Zero Waste
The whole plastic straw vs paper straw debate always annoyed me, especially because there are so many more important issues we should be focusing our time, energy, effort, and money on addressing. Straws are just a distraction from important things. The total combined weight of every single plastic straw ever created is less than two weeks worth of food waste from the US alone. The paper straw vs plastic straw controversy has been a waste of time and energy, created by greedy NGOs and paper companies as a cash grab. Paper straws don’t work, and they also require more resources, energy, and water to create. They also generate more waste, and they also often contain PFAS. The best straw is no straw, and if you really need a straw for medical reasons, then a reusable straw is best. Again though, I’ll say this whole straw controversy is the least of our problems and just a distraction. When will we focus on the real issues?