By Jess Rego on November 14, 2017
Ever since starting our journey to combat plastic pollution through prevention we’ve found a few people always seem to have an excuse to why they can’t possible reduce any further. One place is with straws. I can sit there and tell someone all the horrors of plastic and the destruction it’s causing to our planet and I get a blank stare and the following:
“Oh, but I love a straw in my G&T.”
Like… I hear you. I too am partial a strong G&T (especially during these kinds of conversations) and I am not one for a faceful of ice.
So, what’s so bad about plastic straws anyway? Well for a start, they’re made from polypropylene (plastic) and difficult to recycle. A plastic straw has a lifespan of around 20 minutes, and then it’s thrown away. Because of their size, straws tend to fall through the cracks at recycling plants and get sent to landfill. Once at landfill sites, they make their way into marine environments where they breakdown and are ingested by, injure and can kill wildlife. However there is a solution.
Brace yourselves kids.
Did you know that you can actually buy reusable straws? I’ll pause while you adjust to this earth shattering revelation.
When I lived in New York I stumbled upon reusable straws because of economical reasons. I was going through a bit of a facebook photo phase (for you hip kids you can relate this to our modern day insta-obsessions) and I just looked cuter drinking from a straw so I’d buy them for my house.
Yes, I am aware of how vapid that is. Moving on.
I used to pick up a pack of 20 straws for $2 almost every week. Which doesn’t seem like a lot until you’re a super broke bartender and realise you can buy a pack of 6 brightly coloured reusable straws for less than $10 saving you roughly $95 a year.
That buys a lot of G&Ts.
“But that doesn’t solve the problem of going out.”
OH REALLY TINA?
I beg to differ! You can get all sorts of fancy fandangled contraptions for ease of travel these days. Straw cases. Straw sleeves. Beeswax wrappers. Hell, a bit of tissue will do the job! You can get straws in glass, metal, silicone, bamboo, hard plastic (not the greatest but better than single use) and more! The options are endless, there is literally something for everyone.
And you get the added benefit of knowing exactly which drink is yours when you go out and every person at the table orders the same drink. Or worse, some heathen orders a white rum and soda water and gets it mixed up.
(Just kidding, I accept you for your drink choices, whatever they may be)
So there you have it. Reduce your plastic and get a reusable straw. No excuses.
“I don’t live near any of these fancy health food stores, I wouldn’t know where to get one.”
That’s okay, Linda. I’ve got some top tips on where to buy these supplies, a different straw for every preference!
Silicone straws - 10 straws, 2 cleaning brushes, £9.99
Metal straws - 8 straws (varying shapes/sizes) cleaning brushes and carry pouch, £7.99
Glass straws - 5 straws, cleaning brush, £11.95
Hard Plastic - 12 straws, £5.99
Bamboo - 12 straws, cleaning brush & carry bag, £12.99
There you have it. Easy peasy, strawless squeezy.
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.