@1: You don't need have an mathematical equation to know that this is the right thing to do.

@3 just put your beer in a sippy cup = no straw needed!

I was at the Vancouver Folk Festival this summer, and the food trucks there had cornstarch beverage cups and I think straws that simply break down and dissolve over time. Why don't we seem to have those in the States?

@5: Microsoft, and others have been using compostable utensils in their cafeterias for at least a decade. The problematic ones are the spoons, as they at first had trouble keeping their shape for eating soup or stirring your coffee.

I think this is great. The more we get away from plastic the better. Using less plastic also reduces the amount of petroleum products needed to produce them.