[PittleyDunkin]

Nonsense. There are no alternatives consumers can buy. Try it and you'll find it's virtually impossible. A globalized economy has effectively destroyed the idea of voting with your wallet to reduce waste and production of trash.

[maeil]

For some products, sure. For many products, there's a brilliant alternative - buying second hand. Regardless of the material, this is by far the best way to reduce waste and production of waste, period.

[gadders]

They were all tried in the past - glass, metal etc - and were largely replaced.

If you think there is a new material out there that we are prevented from using, I'd be interested to hear what it is.

[darkwater]

They were replaced because the immediate cost for the selling company was way lower, because they just externalized the environmental cost on the the rest of the world.

But plastic was never "better". Remember that we had PVC all the places until we found out it was made with a carcinogen.

[strogonoff]

Some might say they were only replaced because it was more profitable for the manufacturers to use plastic (due to surplus of cheap oil), not for any actual qualities of the material as container for food and drinks and its environmental impact.

[PittleyDunkin]

Glass, metal, etc. You forgot paper, actually. All are better than the plastic crap forced down our throats.

[gadders]

Yes, paper straws are great.

[sn9]

You can get biodegradable straws that don't suck.

[strogonoff]

I’m afraid “don’t suck” may be a technical term describing a fatal flaw when it comes to straw manufacturing… ;)