The guide to reusable straws: stainless steel, silicone or plant fiber?
Only three families are genuinely reusable day after day: stainless steel, silicone, and plant and mineral fiber. Stainless steel lasts a long time but divides customers, silicone is soft and safe but limp in a glass, and plant and mineral fiber made in France is the only one whose wash resistance is certified by a standard. Here is what each one is actually made of, and how to choose according to your real use, without greenwashing and without unsellable promises.
Guide updated on 25 August 2026.
What is a reusable straw made of?
A reusable straw is made of one of three materials. Stainless steel straws are drawn from food grade steel alloy, usually 304 or 18/8, an iron, chromium and nickel mix. Silicone straws are moulded from a synthetic polymer based on silicon and oxygen, food grade and flexible. Plant and mineral fiber straws, such as ours, are made from wood offcuts combined with minerals, pressed into a rigid tube and manufactured in France.
Everything else sold as eco friendly is single use, not reusable: cardboard, wheat pasta, rice, and sugar cane fiber all break down after one drink. Bamboo is the exception, genuinely reusable but porous, so it absorbs flavours and needs rigorous drying. The table below compares the three real reusable families on the criteria that matter in service.
The comparison in one table
| Criterion | Stainless steel | Silicone | Plant and mineral fiber |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw material | Food grade steel alloy (304 / 18-8) | Food grade synthetic polymer | Wood offcuts and minerals |
| Certified durability | No standard (declared lifespan) | No standard (declared lifespan) | 20 cycles certified to NF EN 12875-1 at 90 °C |
| Taste in the mouth | Metallic sensation | Neutral to slightly rubbery | Neutral |
| Comfort and safety | Rigid, risk of dental impact | Flexible, suitable for children | Rigid without being aggressive |
| Cleaning | Brush recommended | Brush essential | Glasswasher safe |
| Manufacturing | Mostly imported | Mostly imported | Made in France |
Stainless steel straws: durable, but divisive
This is the benchmark for longevity: almost indestructible, recyclable, easy to clean with a brush. Its limits are real in service: a metallic sensation that divides customers, heat and cold conduction, a risk of dental impact especially for children, and a high loss rate on terraces that weighs on an already high initial investment. Its supposedly infinite lifespan also remains a marketing claim, never a standardised figure. The detailed comparison is here: stainless steel straw or reusable plant fiber straw.
Silicone straws: soft and safe, but limp in the glass
Silicone is the right choice when safety comes first: children, elderly customers, anyone who needs a flexible straw. It cannot injure, it can be cut to length and it travels well. On the other hand it lacks structure in a glass served at the table, it holds greasy residue and makes a cleaning brush mandatory, and its real lifespan is rarely quantified.
Plant and mineral fiber straws: the hospitality compromise
Straws-Berry (Strawsberry) straws are made of patented plant and mineral fiber, sourced from wood offcuts and minerals, and are manufactured in France. They do not go soft, they carry no taste and they go through the glasswasher. Their wash resistance is certified to NF EN 12875-1, meaning 20 cycles at 90 °C: it is the only genuinely standardised durability figure on the market. They withstand a range from -20 °C to +90 °C, rest on 3 patents and come off an ISO 9001 certified line, with packaging entrusted to a sheltered workshop employing 80 workers with disabilities. To date, 110 million straws have been sold and 3,000 venues use them, including the Four Seasons George V, Mama Shelter, Paris Society, Best Western and Au Bureau. The figures and the method behind them: Straws-Berry in numbers, the verified facts.
How to choose in 4 questions
- What volume do you serve? Beyond a few dozen drinks a day, glasswasher resistance becomes criterion number 1.
- Which customers? Family venues or vulnerable customers: keep silicone in reserve for specific requests.
- What real cost? Think per drink served, not per unit. Across 20 certified cycles you land at around 0.17 cent per drink: the full calculation is detailed here.
- How many to order? The stock sizing method is explained here.
Caring for your reusable straws
Rinse immediately after service, glasswasher or brush depending on the material, dry completely before storage, and no aggressive products. The full protocol, including the HACCP side, is set out in our care guide and in the article on straws and HACCP hygiene.
The most versatile format in the dining room remains the 20 cm Classic-Berry. To test before you buy, the sample is free and ships within 24 to 48 hours. For volume pricing, see our wholesale straws page.
FAQ: reusable straws
What is a reusable straw made of?
Of one of three materials: food grade stainless steel alloy, food grade silicone polymer, or plant and mineral fiber pressed from wood offcuts and minerals. Cardboard, wheat pasta, rice and sugar cane fiber straws are single use, not reusable.
Which reusable straw suits a bar best?
The one that goes through the glasswasher without deforming and does not alter the taste: plant and mineral fiber ticks both boxes, with durability certified over 20 cycles at 90 °C.
How many times can a straw be reused?
The only certified figure on the market is 20 wash cycles at 90 °C under the NF EN 12875-1 standard. Lifespans quoted for stainless steel, silicone, glass or bamboo remain declarative.
What are Straws-Berry straws made of?
Patented plant and mineral fiber, sourced from wood offcuts and minerals, manufactured in France on an ISO 9001 certified line and based on 3 patents.
Are reusable straws really more economical?
Yes, as soon as you reason per drink served rather than per unit: across its 20 certified cycles, a reusable straw works out at around 0.17 cent per drink.