Editing Drinking straw (section)

==Types==
Drinking straws come in many variations and are manufactured using a variety of materials.

=== Plastic ===
[[File:Drinking straws 2 2018-10-16.jpg|thumb|Plastic drinking straws in a container]]

The most common form of drinking straw is made of the thermoplastic polymer [[polypropylene]]. This plastic is known for its durability, lightness, and ability to be manufactured at a low cost.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Malpass|first1=Dennis B.|last2=Band|first2=Elliot I.|date=2012-06-18|title=Introduction to Industrial Polypropylene|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781118463215|doi=10.1002/9781118463215|isbn=9781118463215}}</ref> Other plastic polymers that exhibit these traits include polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).<ref name=":9">{{Cite journal|last1=Viera|first1=João S.C.|last2=Marques|first2=Mônica R.C.|last3=Nazareth|first3=Monick Cruz|last4=Jimenez|first4=Paula Christine|last5=Castro|first5=Ítalo Braga|date=April 2020|title=On replacing single-use plastic with so-called biodegradable ones: The case with straws |journal=Environmental Science & Policy|language=en|volume=106|pages=177–181|doi=10.1016/j.envsci.2020.02.007|bibcode=2020ESPol.106..177V |s2cid=214458686}}</ref>

These attributes are what have made the traditional plastic straw ubiquitous in fast food establishments and take-out orders around the world. Additionally, other advantages of plastic straws include their ability to be molded into different shapes and sizes while also being able to withstand a wide range of temperatures without deforming.<ref>{{Cite book|date=1998-11-01|title=Polypropylene: the definitive user's guide and databook}}</ref> This is important because straws must be temperature resistant and thermally insulated because they can be used in both hot and cold beverages.

[[File:Drink with straw.jpg|thumb|upright|A pink articulated plastic straw in a cup of orange juice]]
One interesting variation of the plastic straw is the "'''bendy straw'''", commonly referred to in the industry as an "articulated straw". This straw has a [[concertina]]-type hinge near its top to allow for improved maneuverability of the straw when drinking a beverage, especially from a low angle. The articulated straw was invented by [[Joseph Friedman]] in 1937.<ref name="thompson2011" /> He quickly developed the straw after he saw his daughter struggling to use a normal straight straw.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Friedman and the Flexible Straw|url=https://americanhistory.si.edu/archives/d8769.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090404005224/https://americanhistory.si.edu/archives/d8769.htm|archive-date=4 April 2009}}</ref>

[[File:Brown on middeck with drink packet during STS-95.jpg|left|thumb|An astronaut using a plastic straw in space on the 1998 [[NASA]] mission [[STS-95]]. Straws help reduce the likelihood that liquids will escape containment and contaminate equipment within space vessels. Specially designed straws and other drinking equipment, such as [[hydration pack]]s can be used in high complexity environments where liquids can cause problems.]]
Another variation of the plastic straw, the "'''spoon straw'''", has a spoon-like tip at the bottom, and is often used with iced slush beverages.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Polar Krush launches 100% recyclable spoon straw for iced drinks|url=https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2019/04/12/Polar-Krush-launches-100-recyclable-spoon-straw-for-iced-drinks|access-date=20 January 2020|website=beveragedaily.com|date=12 April 2019 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

{{Anchor|stir straw}}"Stir straws" with a relatively short length and quite a narrow bore are often given along with disposable cups for preparing coffee or tea and serve the primary function of being able to stir in sugar, sweetener, cream, or non-dairy creamer, as well as allowing for sipping a hot beverage. Additionally, boba tea plastic straws with wider openings are commonly used to drink [[bubble tea]], to better accommodate its characteristic [[Tapioca|tapioca pearls]]. The tip of these straws is often cut at an angle creating a point which allows one to use the straw to puncture the plastic cover of bubble tea drinks.<ref>{{cite web|title=Would you pay $2 for a straw ? San Francisco bubble tea shops wrestle with plastic ban|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/08/03/2-straw-plastic-ban-may-cost-san-francisco-boba-shops/873009002/|access-date=6 August 2018|website=usatoday.com}}</ref>

Plastic straws can also be embellished with some forms marketed as "'''crazy straws'''", having a number of twists and turns at the top. These straws are often marketed and can be entertaining for young children.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hollander|first=Catherine|date=October 2014|title=A Brief History of the Straw|url=https://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/trends-news/article/history-of-the-straw|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907122223/https://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/trends-news/article/history-of-the-straw|archive-date=7 September 2015|access-date=20 September 2015|website=Bon Appetit Magazine}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Bluestone|first=Judith|title=The Fabric of Autism: Weaving the Threads into a Cogent Theory|date=2005|publisher=Sapphire Enterprises|isbn=9780972023528|page=182|chapter=Crazy Straw|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ym98jC_aEVcC&pg=PA182}}{{MEDRS|date=October 2018}}</ref> The crazy straw was invented by Arthur Philip Gildersleeve and patented in 1936.<ref>{{us patent|2063803|Drinking Tube}}</ref>

=== Reusable ===
[[File:Metal straw.jpg|thumb|A reusable metal straw with a silicone tip]]

Environmental concerns, stemming from the impact plastic waste has had on the ocean, have led to a rise in reusable straws.<ref name=":6">{{Cite journal|last1=Zanghelini|first1=Guilherme Marcelo|last2=Cherubini|first2=Edivan|last3=Dias|first3=Ricardo|last4=Kabe|first4=Yuki Hamilton Onda|last5=Delgado|first5=Jorge Juan Soto|date=December 2020|title=Comparative life cycle assessment of drinking straws in Brazil|url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0959652620331152|journal=Journal of Cleaner Production|language=en|volume=276|pages=123070|doi=10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123070|bibcode=2020JCPro.27623070Z |s2cid=225153562|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Citation|last=Letcher|first=Trevor M.|title=Introduction to plastic waste and recycling|date=2020|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-817880-5.00001-3|work=Plastic Waste and Recycling|pages=3–12|publisher=Elsevier|doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-817880-5.00001-3|isbn=978-0-12-817880-5|s2cid=216542304|access-date=2020-11-10|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Reusable straws are primarily being manufactured out of [[polylactic acid]] (PLA),<ref name=":8">{{Cite book|date=2008|title=Monomers, Polymers and Composites from Renewable Resources|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-045316-3.x0001-4|doi=10.1016/b978-0-08-045316-3.x0001-4|isbn=9780080453163}}</ref> [[silicone]], and metal.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Brissette|first=Christy|date=3 July 2018|title=Plastic straws aren't just bad for the environment—they can be bad for your body|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/plastic-straws-arent-just-bad-for-the-environment--they-can-be-bad-for-your-body/2018/07/02/d682fdfe-7964-11e8-aeee-4d04c8ac6158_story.html|access-date=20 January 2020|newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref> Polylactic acid and silicone straws are the most similar in texture and feel to their plastic counterparts, however, they fit into the category of biodegradable polymers. These types of straws have some benefits over other more ecologically conscious straws because they are resistant to disintegrating in one's drink and provide adequate insulation for hot and cold drinks.<ref name=":6" /> One manufacturer of silicone straws even claims that their straws can be burned into biodegradable ash.<ref name=":7" />

Metal and glass straws are other reusable alternatives. A "vampire straw" is a large metal drinking straw with a pointed tip that allows it to double as a [[dagger]]-like weapon. A man was arrested at [[Boston Logan International Airport]] after a vampire straw was confiscated from his [[carry-on luggage]].<ref name=vampire>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/30/us/what-is-vampire-straw-meaning/index.html|title=What is a vampire straw? A closer look at the weapon confiscated from a Boston traveler's luggage|website=[[CNN]] |date=30 April 2023 }}</ref>

==== Bombilla ====
{{Excerpt|bombilla}}

=== Single-use ===
Some companies such as [[Starbucks]] have moved away from plastic straws.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2018-07-09|title=Starbucks to ban plastics straws in all stores by 2020|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44774762|access-date=2021-02-17}}</ref> Bamboo straws are sometimes made from the [[moso bamboo]] tree (''Phyllostachys edulis'').<ref>{{Cite web|title=Phyllostachys edulis (Carrière) J. Houz. GRIN-Global|url=https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=28158|access-date=2021-02-17|website=npgsweb.ars-grin.gov}}</ref>

Some companies such as [[McDonald's]] have switched to [[paper]] and [[paperboard]] straws.<ref name=":8" /> 

=== Edible ===
Edible straws have been made out of materials like rice, seaweed, rye,<ref name="ryesa">{{cite news|date=11 October 2019|title='Rye-cycled' natural straws helping environment and farmers in war on single-use plastic|website=ABC News|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-10-11/recycled-rye-straws-an-option-to-help-environment-and-farmers/11589450|access-date=11 October 2019}}</ref> and confectioneries (such as candy).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Zhang|first=Jenny G.|date=30 August 2019|title=The Dream of a Delicious Alternative (Cereal?) Straw|url=https://www.eater.com/2019/8/30/20839670/froot-loops-cereal-straws-nostalgia-environmentally-friendly|access-date=20 January 2020|website=Eater|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Concio|first=Chardynne Joy H.|date=24 April 2019|title=The Incredible, Edible… Straw?|url=https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/20728/20190424/the-incredible-edible…-straw.htm|access-date=20 January 2020|website=Science Times|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Krueger|first=Alyson|date=7 October 2019|title=Do You Really Need a Straw With That?|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/07/style/plastic-straw-alternatives.html|access-date=20 January 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

Flavor straws are a form of drinking straw with a flavoring included, designed to make drinking milk more pleasant for children. They first marketed in the United States in 1956 as [[Flav-R-Straws]].<ref>''Milk plant monthly'', Volume 45, p. 68 (1956), quote: "New Flavored Straws For Use in Milk Drinks [...] A new type of straw with built-in flavor for use with milk drinks has been introduced by Flav-R Straws, Inc."</ref> Newer variations of the original idea have been resurrected in forms such as [[Sipahh]]s, and [[Magic Milk Straws]] that contain hundreds of flavored pellets encased within a stiff plastic straw.