A lot of beverages are difficult to drink without a straw such as smoothies and drinks with crushed ice to name two. If you're confined to a bed, that's another accessibility issue.

Plastic straws have joined single-use packaging as pollution and are about to be banned if they haven't been already.

Paper straws fall apart but are re-cyclable 100%. I recently overheard someone complaining that they've gone through six straws with one cocktail (leisurely sipped I assume).

Metal straws are a problem for a couple of reasons: portability - Who wants to carry them around? Where do I put it after I've used it? Cleaning it/them between drinks depends on where you are. Cleaning them causes more pollution and energy use - soap, hot water, Q-tips, brushes, more?.

I've been thinking about this… for minutes. I haven't come up with anything. What can be used (instead of/for) a drinking straw? Can there be no better alternatives?