When I am trying to enjoy my morning coffee, the last thing I want is for a paper straw to ruin my drinking experience by getting all soggy. But like the song by the Rolling Stones, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometime you’ll find you get what you need.”

According to Beyond Plastics, plastic straws are among the top ten contributors to plastic marine debris across the world. One way for us to reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up in our environment is to use paper straws.

Some of the other reasons to quit using plastic straws relate to their negative impact on marine life. Here in Florida, we’re lucky to be surrounded by beaches on three sides, but if we don’t take care of our marine ecosystems, ocean pollution could affect us directly.

Plastic straws are lightweight and small, making them especially likely to clog drains and gutters — and eventually flow into the ocean.

Once in the ocean, straws and other types of plastics can be eaten by marine life like sea turtles, fish, seabirds, manatees and dolphins. Once eaten, these plastics can damage and lead to blockages in the stomachs of the creatures that eat them. These plastics can also break down into microplastics that are just as harmful as regular plastics.

While paper straws are an alternative to plastic straws, they have their share of problems. Paper straws get soggy quickly, ruining the drinking experience — they contain toxic “forever chemicals” like polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and release nearly the same amount of greenhouse gases into the environment as plastic straws do in landfills.

However, there are more alternatives to plastic straws. Metal straws are a great alternative to plastic and paper straws. They are reusable and easy to clean. Plus, you don’t have to worry about them getting soggy and dissolving. You can get a four-pack of metal straws from Target for only nine dollars.

Another alternative to paper straws are bamboo straws. Bamboo straws are a durable and resistant alternative to paper and plastic straws.

While they have a shorter lifespan and sometimes leave an aftertaste, they are an organic, reusable alternative. They also have the benefit of being made from 100% sustainable bamboo.

Whether you are a fan of straws or not, we can all agree that it is a good thing to make our planet more sustainable and try to reduce our use of plastic.