My daughter ordered these for me for my birthday from my account.... She is very concerned about our plastic use and has been trying to find alternatives for just about everything we buy... I did not realize how much I would like these until I gave them a try... they are stainless steel so they are easy enough to wash ... you can soak and hand wash them, or pop them into the dishwasher... my favorite part is that I can give them to the grand babies in their cups and they cannot chew them to pieces...I have to say I kind of like the idea of doing something right for the environment... especially when it is with a product I would have bought anyway... I am very cold sensitive and use straws all the time...with just about any cold drink I have.... no pangs of guilt with these..