a drinking straw for consuming a beverage is prepared by : a ) melt - extruding a polymeric material in the shape of a continuous tubular conduit suitable for preparing a plurality of drinking straws ; b ) cooling said continuous tubular conduit to a temperature below the softening point of the polymer ; c ) flattening the tubular conduit so as to collapse its structure into a substantially planar form , thereby constricting the central longitudinal cavity and reducing the volume of the continuous tubular conduit ; d ) cutting a length from the continuous conduit of suitable length for making the straw ; and e ) dilating the length cut from the conduit so as to restore the cross - sectional area of the central cavity and reconstitute the tubular structure of the straw . advantages of the invention include minimizing storage space and shipping bulk , as well as reducing the need for packaging materials . in further aspects of the invention , there are provided particular processes for making the drinking straw and a drinking straw dispenser .