Hate Plastic Waste? Try These Clever Straw Alternatives
By now, everyone knows that plastic waste is a major environmental problem around the world. Most plastic isn’t biodegradable, and it’s subsequently been clogging landfills and polluting the oceans, killing off a slew of marine creatures in the process. To top it off, there’s the issue of the chemical pollution that’s produced during the manufacturing of plastic.
Now, several organizations are campaigning in hopes of persuading people to stop using plastic straws. The Last Plastic Straw says that in the U.S. alone, 50 million single-use plastic straws are used and discarded every day. That’s a jaw-dropping 175 billion straws each year. The organization has developed three options for restaurants to help them play their part in slashing these numbers: they can either provide a straw only when requested by a customer, provide only compostable or reusable straws, or get rid of straws altogether.
Paper
Food with Fashion designs paper straws that are colorful and biodegradable. These straws come in a variety of styles and patterns, from “Rainbow Chevron” to “Multicolor Stripes” and “Green Daisies.” Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and Easter straws go great with table decorations, and there are even straws to complement wedding and baby shower decor. How do Food with Fashion’s straws hold up in drinks? “They are durable, biodegradable, and food-safe,” says the company. “The thick coating allows them to last for hours in water and other liquid beverages!”
Bamboo
Glass
Polylactic Acid
Okay, we know this doesn’t sound like something you’d want to use to sip your cocktails, but have no fear! Polylactic acid (PLA) or “corn plastic” is made from renewable resources rather than oil, which is the base for most traditional plastics. Eco-Products manufactures these straws and promises that “they are sturdy and certified compostable in commercial compost facilities.”