/ot/ - off-topic

Personally I think the strawless cup caps that are in development for coffee shops look great so far. I'm sure they would keep a bunch of regular cups and straws if people specifically requested them, so the problem seems a little blown out of proportion.

not to put on the tinfoil hat but i would not be surprised in the slightest if the whole thing about disabled people needing straws is being pushed by some sort of plastic straw manufacturer. don't get me wrong, there are for sure disabled people that need them, but to me if its something they or their care takers know they will need, i feel like they will have one on hand just in case.

maybe i'm a skeptic but i think the results even if they are banned are minute. so a couple of cities, or a country does it. what about the rest of the 200 countries in the world that still use straws?

i think people should focus on bigger things. like how a lot of first world countries illegally dump trash in third world countries. then it ends up in the ocean. or find an efficient way to clean up the trash whirlpools in the ocean. preventative measures are key to improving future situations but i think the messes already made should have some attention too.

Aren't a lot of these companies proposing eco-friendly straws (or making strawless default) would have plastic, disposable straws behind the counter? I think reducing usage by not having it out on the counter or shoving into customers' drinks is the most ideal situation. Most people aren't going to bother to ask and people with Parkinsons or other disability have them as an option.

Personally, I've been using paper straws but the ones I keep buying are fucking shitty and disintegrate and make everything taste gross.

>>268366
you could always get a metal one anon. pretty easy to clean and dont make your drink papery

>>268359
I agree, it's weird that we're coming for average everyday citizens using straws but nobody cares about big billionaire corporations polluting with literal tons of disgusting waste. Daily. Nobody cares but hey let's ban a drinking utensil. No ban on any other plastic-ware. Just straws.

I think people arguing over disabled people not being able to use paper are all parroting what they heard on tumblr and don't actually give a shit about disabled people.

Of the small minority of people who are disabled and can't use paper straws, an even smaller minority couldn't use metal/glass/bamboo and out of those, an even smaller minority are that disabled that they can't wash the straws themselves (and like the OP said, they'd have a carer anyway). And even then, silicone still solves ALL the problems because it's reusable, dishwasher sage and easy to bite down on but people would rather argue and pretend that trying to be more environmentally friendly is some kind of attack on disabled people and like they're white knights. Arguing about this gets them serious ass pats on tumblr.

Yes, ban plastic straws. Coffee shops and restaurants should give NO straws, paper straws on request and sell silicone straws and little carry cases (like the ones you get for toothbrushes or chopsticks) for anyone who needs them or accidentally left theirs at home. But don't you dare suggest this to any tumblrinas because they'll find a way to argue against it because "some people can't afford reusable straws and you're a big classist meanie!" Even though they're less than 1€ each online.

>>268366
>shoving into customers' drinks
This actually annoys me so much. I also bought a reusable cup and I don't use it because the few times I did, baristas gave me dirty looks. Like how the fuck does that affect your business at all? If anything I'm saving you money by not having to give me a cup. This is even coming from coffee shops that SELL keep cups and have them on display on the counter. I think there should be more of an incentive for people to use keep cups too, because it's weird getting a paper straw in a plastic cup and pretending like you're saving the environment uwu

>>268448
>I also bought a reusable cup and I don't use it because the few times I did, baristas gave me dirty looks
Similar thing happened to me, and even at the college I go to the students aren’t allowed to pour coffee in their own containers - they have to get it in a styrofoam cup first and pour it out after paying. It’s such a waste.

>>268442
people are all for being environmental friendly until it inconveniences them, even in the slightest.

why is this a thread

>>268495
It’s all over tumblr and sjw pages.

>>268460
As someone who worked at a college food kiosk, it's really about making sure customers are charged the right price per size. Before people were unable to use their own cups, customers would always try to say their cup was the cheapest size we had and when there's a huge line behind them there's no way to double check. I don't know if there are different prices at your college, but that's usually why they want you to use their cups.

>>268514
that's a bit stupid. my school only had one price for anything under 1 litre because coffee and tea and drinks are all pennies on the dollar.

>>268508
Can you link? This is the first time I've heard an uproar about this

>>268542
Literally google "plastic straw ban". Even NPR's done a few pieces.

Personally I think it's total bullshit that people are opposed to this. It's not like disabled people can't use any kind of reusable straw. And like, yeah, in the grand scheme of things it'll probably not do much good, but it's at least a step in the right direction.

>>268552
it's not a step in the right direction. it's not banning them from being manufactured all over the world you can still buy fucking plastic straws sold at stores or online and shove them into your own cups. it's just easy low-impact virtue signaling

I remember when they banned incandescent light bulbs over a certain wattage. For a while, the alternatives were shitty (CFL) or expensive (LED bulbs were very costly at first) but things evened out and we're better off now. I think straws are part of an ongoing transition away from single-use plastic, and that does need to happen.

saw this conversation on my feed with some fat fucking retard claiming that people are too disabled to wash straws, yeah right

>>268754
>suppressed immune system

bitch that does not make you unable to fucking do something jesus.

>>268589
Not the anon you replied to but just wondering, what do you think of charging for plastic bags/similar plastic bag reduction schemes that reduce the amount of plastic bags in the environment, as I believe this has been studied more than straws?

I find it macabre that the regular consumer has to take the blame for big companies fucking up plastic recycling. You using plastic straws or plastic eating utils? You monster, can't you see you're killing the planet?! Says the massive multinational enterprise polluting the earth with waste more than any consumer ever could produce.

It's also so fucking stupid to see western 1st world countries fiddle with petty bullshit like this while Russia, the Arab countries and China are pretty much choking the planet dead with pollution. I can give up using plastic bags and straws but living in a small country in Europe doesn't really make a difference.

>>268776
actually anon, china is fixing a lot of their pollution issues lately since they don't want pollution to have a negative impact on the work force. people protested and the government listened. they believe in climate change and everything, which is more than you can say for US…

Honestly fuck disabled people. If you're too retarded that you will die without a plastic straw, tough shit. I wish that we could just leave them at the edge of the woods for the wolves to eat.

I don't know, I saw a video of a turtle with one stuck in its nostril, so maybe. Here's the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wH878t78bw There's blood so don't click if you are bothered by that.

I think a plastic straw ban would only be treating the symptoms of humans harming wildlife and the planet. Human extinction is better, but that's not gonna happen…

>>268854
As it happens, lack of empathy is a major indicator of many mental disabilities. Have a nice time in the woods anon!

I think silicone straws are ok, but metal straws would have a bad taste

yea and disabled people just use that excuse because they (disabled peeps) usually deny climate change