Reusable Straws: Are They Worth It? What the Evidence Shows

Reusable straws are worth it if you use one many times, wash it with care and keep it away from small children. This guide covers what a life cycle study, an injury study and Canada's plastics rules say about them.

We sell a reusable stainless steel straw, so read this with that in mind. Where the research says one thing and our own listing says another, this guide says so. For another swap that gets the same question, see our bamboo toothbrush guide.

Are Reusable Straws Better for the Environment?

Only after enough uses. One life cycle study found a steel straw needs 37 to 63 uses to break even with disposable straws on climate emissions.

• The study: The study in the International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment compared polypropylene, paper and polylactide disposable straws with reusable glass and steel straws in South Africa, across 18 impact categories.
• The break-even: Glass needed 23 to 39 uses and steel 37 to 63 uses to match the climate emissions of disposable options. Making the straw was the biggest contributor.
• Washing matters: The authors found the temperature of the washing water notably influenced a reusable straw's emissions.
• Paper held up: Paper had lower climate emissions than plastic in that study and the least impact of the disposable options. It was the only marine-degradable material.
• The limits: It modelled South Africa, where polypropylene is made from coal, and the results may differ in Canada. We found no Canadian life cycle study of straws.

How Many Times Do You Need to Use a Reusable Straw?

Roughly 37 to 63 uses for steel, going by the one study above. At one drink a day that is about two months.

• The arithmetic: 63 uses at one drink per day is 63 days. If you drink through a straw once a week, it is closer to a year and a quarter.
• The catch: The figure assumes the straw replaces a disposable one each time and is not lost. A straw left in a drawer saves nothing.
• Leakage: The same study found disposable straws leaked into the environment at a rate of 38%, and that reusable straws were unlikely to reach the marine environment.

Are Metal Straws Safe?

They carry a real injury risk, mainly for young children. A US study of emergency room visits found metal straws pose the greatest risk among the straw materials it compared.

• The data: The study by Langford and colleagues examined 1,174 straw-related injuries in a national US database from 2012 to 2021. The largest group was children aged 0 to 3, at 43.8%.
• The pattern: Reusable straws caused more injuries in children 3 and under. Mouth injuries were 45.4% and eye injuries 22%. The most common mechanism was poking, at 53.5%.
• The trend: Injuries rose 46.5% over the decade, and metal straw injuries rose 12.8%. Nearly half, 46.3%, involved using the straw the wrong way.
• The authors' advice: They say metal straws should be avoided in children, and that supervision and correct use may lower injuries. We found no Canadian injury data.

What Do Canada's Plastic Rules Say About Straws?

Selling single-use plastic straws has been prohibited since December 20, 2023. Flexible plastic straws are the exception, so people who need them can still buy them.

• The rules: Canada’s Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations ban manufacturing and importing straws from December 20, 2022 and selling them from December 20, 2023.
• The exception: Government fact sheet says retailers may sell flexible plastic straws in packages of 20 or more, kept off public display and provided on request, so people with disabilities or medical needs keep access. Flexible straws packed with juice boxes and pouches could not be sold after June 20, 2024.
• What it means: A shop that sells straws in Canada is mostly selling paper, other materials or the exempt flexible kind. A reusable straw competes with those.

How Do You Choose and Care for a Reusable Straw?

Choose one you will actually use, wash it after each drink and skip it for toddlers. The steps below follow the research above, not a lab test of our own.

1. Count your use. If you will not use it dozens of times, a reusable straw does not pay back its production emissions.
2. Wash it after each use. Use the cleaning brush that comes with the straw, or the dishwasher if the maker says it is safe.
3. Mind the water. The life cycle study found hotter washing water raised emissions, so do not heat more water than you need.
4. Keep it away from small children. The injury study advises against metal straws for children.
5. Do not use it moving. Poking and falling caused most injuries, so sit down with it.

What Does Our Own Straw Page Claim?

Our product page says the straw is free from BPA and other harmful chemicals, can be reused indefinitely, resists bending and breaking, and is dishwasher safe. We could not source those claims for this guide.

The page also does not state the grade of steel. The straw ships with its own cleaning brush, per the listing. We are reviewing that wording. Until it is backed, read it as the seller's statement, not as evidence.

When Should You Talk to a Doctor About a Straw Injury?

See a doctor or go to an emergency room if a straw has poked the mouth, throat or eye, or if a child has swallowed any part of one. This guide is information, not medical advice.

Do not wait for symptoms to build after an injury to the eye or the back of the throat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are reusable straws worth it?

Yes, if you use one dozens of times. One life cycle study estimated 37 to 63 uses for a steel straw to break even on climate emissions with disposable straws.

Are metal straws safe for kids?

Not for young children. A US injury study found metal straws pose the greatest risk among reusable options, and its authors say to avoid them in children.

Are plastic straws banned in Canada?

Selling single-use plastic straws has been prohibited since December 20, 2023, with an exception for flexible straws that are not packaged with beverage containers.

How do you clean a reusable straw?

Wash it after each drink with a cleaning brush, or in the dishwasher if the maker says it is safe. The life cycle study found hotter water raised emissions; we found no hygiene study.

Are paper straws better than plastic?

In the South African life cycle study paper straws had lower climate emissions than plastic and were the only marine-degradable option. Results may differ in Canada.

See the Sampson Reusable Stainless Steel Straw — 30-Day Guarantee

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