Table 2.

The 83 packets of straws that were examined and some of their characteristics.

Packet’s identifiera	No. straws in each packet	Average circumference (mm)	Average thickness (mm)	Average mass per unit length (mg/mm)	Type of polarizing patterns
3STAR-1	120	21.0	0.124	2.07	1
3STAR-2	129	21.0	0.134	2.34	1, 9
3STAR-3	128	21.1	0.130	2.36	1
3STAR-4	129	21.0	0.131	2.33	1, 9
AM-1	137	21.4	0.127	2.30	2
AM-2	137	21.2	0.128	2.31	2
AM-3	138	21.4	0.125	2.28	2
ANB-1	50	13.0	0.068	0.70	1
ANB-2	50	13.0	0.067	0.71	1
ANB-3	52	13.0	0.065	0.70	1
ANB-4	50	13.0	0.069	0.73	1
ANB-5	52	13.0	0.067	0.71	1
B8-1	113	18.9	0.121	1.89	2
B8-2	132	21.0	0.133	2.31	2
B8-3	133	21.0	0.133	2.30	2
B8-4	144	21.0	0.135	2.28	2
EM-1	133	20.1	0.108	1.85	2, 11
EM-2	128	20.0	0.114	1.91	11
EM-3	165	19.4	0.115	1.85	8
EM-4	142	20.1	0.111	1.86	2
GK-1	123	19.1	0.132	2.06	5
GK-2	153	19.0	0.135	2.05	5
GK-3	154	19.1	0.133	2.06	5
HG-1	68	20.0	0.129	2.15	1
HG-2	61	20.1	0.129	2.17	1
KA-1	124	22.0	0.134	2.41	2
KA-2	131	21.9	0.118	2.14	2
KA-3	121	22.0	0.132	2.42	2
KHP-1	86	20.2	0.133	2.12	2
KHP-2	90	20.3	0.134	2.17	2
KHP-3	81	20.6	0.130	2.11	2
MSH-1	152	20.9	0.106	1.80	6
MSH-2	155	20.8	0.108	1.81	6
MSH-3	154	20.8	0.109	1.81	6
MWH-1	151	20.1	0.113	1.91	4
MWH-2	152	20.1	0.116	1.91	4
MWH-3	153	20.1	0.117	1.94	4
NSH-1	144	21.0	0.121	2.14	2
NSH-2	144	21.0	0.123	2.15	2
NSH-3	144	21.0	0.120	2.14	2
NTC-1	56	20.7	0.129	2.16	2
NTC-2	42	20.8	0.131	2.24	2
OJS-1	145	20.0	0.120	1.91	8
OJS-2	151	20.0	0.117	1.92	8
ONS-1	156	21.7	0.132	2.34	7
ONS-2	148	21.4	0.131	2.32	1
ONS-3	149	21.7	0.133	2.35	7
RS-1	141	21.9	0.127	2.35	1
RS-2	144	21.4	0.136	2.43	1
RS-3	145	21.4	0.136	2.44	1
SKPAMK-1	175	18.0	0.129	1.74	2, 8
SKPAMK-2	175	18.0	0.142	1.84	8, 10
SKPAMK-3	179	19.0	0.111	1.73	8
SKPB-1	173	19.0	0.110	1.74	2, 8
SKPB-2	148	20.5	0.137	2.28	8
SKPB-3	149	22.0	0.131	2.23	3
SKPBB-1	176	18.8	0.114	1.75	1
SKPBB-2	164	19.0	0.111	1.74	2
SKPBB-3	169	19.0	0.114	1.76	2, 8
SKPJE-1	135	21.0	0.127	2.24	2, 4, 8
SKPJE-2	141	21.5	0.138	2.29	2
SKPJE-3	182	19.0	0.114	1.74	2
SKPS-1	166	19.0	0.110	1.69	2, 8
SKPS-2	183	18.4	0.125	1.74	2, 8, 10
SSP-1	154	20.0	0.115	1.93	1
SSP-2	155	19.8	0.116	1.94	1
SSP-3	170	19.9	0.115	1.94	1
STP-1	149	20.0	0.121	1.97	1
STP-2	155	20.0	0.118	1.97	1
STP-3	144	20.0	0.118	1.97	1
UNI-1	138	22.0	0.129	2.27	2
UNI-2	138	21.9	0.130	2.27	2
UNI-3	136	21.6	0.128	2.25	2
VLD-1	169	20.0	0.138	2.27	1
WJ-1	153	19.0	0.112	1.77	1
WJ-2	148	19.0	0.115	1.84	1
WJ-3	149	19.2	0.114	1.83	1
YES-1	124	22.0	0.133	2.38	2
YES-2	125	21.9	0.133	2.39	2
YES-3	126	22.0	0.133	2.38	2
ZONE-1	136	22.0	0.149	2.61	1
ZONE-2	140	22.2	0.169	2.62	1
ZONE-3	145	21.2	0.135	2.42	1

^aThe identifier of each packet is assigned as ABC-N, where ABC is an abbreviated version of the commercial outlet it was purchased from, and N means that it was the Nth packet purchased from that particular outlet.