In the April 17th publication of The DePauw the argument was put forward that we should ditch the plastic straw and instead replace them with paper straws in effort to save the environment. The point presented was fair, plastic is killing our environment, literally. It can take hundreds of years for plastic to decompose and in the meantime animals are getting in plastic or ingesting it, and dying.
I completely agree with this, however I believe we can take this a step further and completely eliminate waste from straws. I believe that DePauw University should fully invest in edible straws made out of material such as cookie or cereal with options to fit dietary restrictions. The perks go beyond simply eliminating plastic waste, but they make every time you drink much more enjoyable. Picture me this: you sit down to dinner and before you stands an ordinary drink. A paper straw won’t do anything for you but provide a subpar experience. The second the straw goes in your drink it begins to dissolve. Because of this it is hard to finish your drink after a certain point because the straw will no longer work. I don’t want soggy paper in my stomach, do you? If only there was something that would solve this? THERE IS! Switch that paper straw out for a nice cookie or cereal straw and your day is guaranteed to be 1000 times better. Not only does it probably make your drink taste better, but you have a fun snack afterwards AND it is good for the environment because there is no waste involve. And in the end, happy Earth happy taste-buds, right?
Switching to edible straws is not only good for the planet, but it is good for your soul. In conclusion, be selfish, tickle your taste buds and take a nice long sip out of the sweet drink called life (with an edible straw).