The Best Brands of Reusable Drinking Straws
This set of multi-coloured silicone straws (The Netherlands) includes a cup guide to help you cut to size for whisky glasses, short tumblers, cocktail glasses or children’s drinks. Dishwasher-safe and sold with a cotton bag.
Silicone straws look and feel like plastic straws (silicone does use fossil fuels with sand to make, but these straws are food-safe, last years and are easy to recycle.
Why Choose Reusable Straws?
Straw waste accounts for 10% of all ocean plastic (one clean-up on US shorelines found 7.5 million plastic straws).
Single-use plastic straws are (apart from for medical issues) now banned for UK sale, but still legal to sell in many countries (you could always use your lips to drink!) If you prefer straws, invest in a reusable one to sea turtles getting them stuck up nostrils.
Don’t use stainless steel straws for people with dexterity issues, children or on the move, as they don’t flex.
President Trump has recently signed an order, to bring back plastic straws, to stop the move towards paper ones (presumably to help the oil industry). One can only pray..
Get remaining straws (and plastic cups) out of your town forever with a recycling box from Terracycle or ReFactory.
More Silicone Reusable Straws
This pack of silicone drinking straws are the ideal alternative to plastic drinking straws (banned for sale in the UK, but still around in their millions and used elsewhere in the world). Silicone is a food-grade alternative to plastic.
The straws are sold alongside a cleaning brush, in an organic cotton carry pouch. Made fairly in China and shipped by sea, a portion from each sale goes to Marine Conservation Society. Dishwasher-safe.
The size and shape of straws means they miss ‘catching systems’ so end up in the sea, where they puncture soft-bellied creatures or are eaten by filter feeders.
Jungle Culture (Reusable Bamboo Drinking Straws)
Jungle Culture bamboo straws are sold in a set of 6, in a hessian carry case. Handmade by a small artisan family farm in rural Vietnam, these straws are strong and durable, and dishwasher-safe.
The set includes a cleaning guide and eco craft box. The straws are suitable for juice, soda and cocktails, with extra-wide straws for smoothies and mylkshakes.
Stroodles (eco straws made from pasta!)
Stroodles Pasta Straws last around an hour (not for hot drinks, as they would go soggy. Made in Italy, they can be composted after use, or just cook and eat them! Not for gluten allergies (or children/swallowing difficulties). May contain traces of soya or eggs.
It also offers an edible cup (in two sizes that taste like Ryvita!)) that can hold hot liquids for up to 40 minutes and a range of tableware. A portion of profits are donated to Clean Ocean Sailing, a Cornish charity that is helping to clean up the seas of trash with volunteers. They last over an hour in cold drinks, in normal temperatures.
It’s important to store all items in a cool dry place, as they would otherwise biodegrade away in the sun (and the plates and cups would go stale quickly).
And also edible spoons and cups! Apparently they taste like ryvita!
