Plastic straws cause devastation to ocean wildlife, often because they are just the right size and shape to slip down storm drains and go into the sea (especially those little straws on juice boxes – PIP Organic now make juice boxes with paper straws, if you use them). Most people can use their lips, but others like to use straws, and some people have to do for medical reasons. This Set of 6 Food-Grade Silicone Straws are made from a highly durable material in beautiful mellow colours. The set includes a cleaning brush in a reusable bag.
Often mistaken for food, plastic straws often cause injuries to creatures in the sea (one penguin was recently found with a perforated stomach, due to a plastic straw). And even if they don’t directly harm marine wildlife, they break down into microplastics, which then get accidentally ingested by wildlife, so cause harm that way. Either don’t use straws, choose a reusable straw or at the least, ask for a paper (not plastic) straw when out and about.
Battle Green Bamboo Straw Set are light and compact, ideal for work, school or travel. The set includes four bamboo straws, a stainless steel straw cleaner (with coconut husk bristles) and a certified organic cotton travel pouch, with a stainless steel press stud closure.
Stroodles are drinking straws made from pasta, you can eat after use. They store up to 2 years, and last an hour in your drink, before biodegrading (or cook them up for dinner). These straws are not for people with gluten allergies or at risk from choking. Supervised use only for children (over 3 only). Only use straws with cold drinks, to avoid burning your tongue.
These reusable bamboo drinking straws are made from a fast-growing grass (industrial bamboo is not eaten by pandas). They are not local (unless you live in China), so we have to be careful, as too much use of one ‘super product’ is creating monocultures, which harms native wildlife if other crop are removed (we don’t want another palm oil industry).
However, they are strong and one purchase will last years. So it’s one option. Dry these properly, or they will biodegrade away! Choose from Go Bambu, Panda Bamboo Straws (sets of 6 or 12), Organically Epic (sold with a cleaning straw), Eco Bru (single straws) or Shlurple (single-use).
These stainless steel drinking straws are ideal to replace disposable plastic straws. Sucka makes colourful, all dishwasher-friendly. Ideal for smoothies, shakes and tall cocktails. They also make chunky reusable straws.
Do not use stainless steel for children, disabilities or while on the move, as it does not bend (remove from cups and lids, when not in use. Only use straws with cold drinks, to avoid burning your tongue.
Studio Hop Glass Straw Gift Set is sold in 4 summer shades, complete with a wire brush to clean them. Presented in a smart gift box with an in-house designed label, to make a great letterbox gift.
Shlurple Collapsible Drinking Straw folds down after use. In green or pink, sold in a wheat box, with optional cutlery set. In the US, FinalStraw is another collapsible straw, which fits onto a keyring. Clean in rapidly boiling water for 5 minutes (using tongs to submerge) and wash the outside with biodegradable soap and water, rinse with hot water.
These straws made from sugar waste are made from the harvest left, after making sugar cane. Called ‘bagasse’, the straws are sold in packs of 200 to 1000, guaranteed to never go soggy, and sold in cardboard packaging. Store in a cool dry environment. You can also buy Hay Straws in the US, which biodegrade in 42 days.
These better paper drinking straws for parties are preferable, because unlike most paper straws, they don’t have glue with microplastics. Sold in many designs (including custom), they are still disposable so not perfect. But millions of people use disposable straws, so at least let’s make them made with biodegradable paper.
Did you know that when McDonald’s first switched to paper straws, it was found they could not be recycled? They have switched to a new type of straw now that can be recycled. But a petition to ‘bring back plastic straws because they went soggy in a McFlurry’ gathered an incredible 50,000 signatures. We have a long way to go. One woman tweeted: If having paper straws upset you so much, I would suggest you need to spend less time in McDonald’s.
Did you know that there quite a few countries on earth, where there are no McDonald’s? Iceland focuses on feeding regional food to children, Bermuda does not allow fast food restaurants and Bolivia closed down, as locals did not want them (the same happened in Tavistock, Devon, where the locals said ”we feed our children properly here’).
