Good Bye Plastic Straws! Hello Eco-Friendly Alternatives
Best Solutions To Plastic Straw Pollution
Birds mistake them for good nest building material. Sea turtles mistake them for food and get them stuck in their nostrils. And the list goes on. But it's not just the animals that suffer.. we're killing ourselves with plastic.
As hard on wildlife as plastic Bags, nylon Fishing Line and plastic Q-tips.
Plastic drinking straws might seem like small, insignificant items in the grand scheme of global pollution, but don't let their size fool you. These tiny tubes of doom are wreaking havoc on our environment, the ocean most especially.
Plastic Straw Plague
From clogging our oceans with non-biodegradable plastic waste to harming those ocean's wildlife that calls these waters home, plastic disposable drinking straws are no joke. And let's not forget the fact that they are a completely unnecessary source of plastic waste - we've all taken a drink of a cold beverage straight from the cup and it's just as refreshing. Still, we sure like our straws, and why not? Nifty little thing, is a straw.
Excellent Non-Plastic Alternatives
Well, my dear environmentally-conscious friend, behold the wondrous creations of today's earth-friendly eco drinking straw collections, some of them made entirely from plants. Let's all do ourselves, other countries and the planet a favor, and ditch the plastic straws, for good. Your future self (and the turtles) will thank you.
Just Artifacts has many iridescent colors, with no harmful chemicals
Get ready to be blown away by the magical world of plant-based eco drinking straws! Unlike plastic straws that take eternity to decompose, these compostable straws are made from natural sources such as corn starch, agave, sugarcane, bamboo, or even avocado pits and a little known new plastic-like polymer made by bacteria. Yes, you heard it right. How cool is that? Read on to find out!
Sophie's Straws made out of Hay
Long History Of Straws
Straws have been around at least since the ancient Sumerians gathered around huge vats of beer, sipping brew through hollowed out reeds. Common rye grass made a useful straw (and still does), until in 1888 when the first patented straw came about, made of paper. But it wasn't until the 1960s that plastic replaced it and now... plastic is everywhere.
It's no secret that plastic containers and straws and everything plastic is wreaking havoc on our environment. Straws especially the oceans, and on its creatures, Besides the general pollution, plastic straws also most readily break down into the microplastics, poisoning everything from the air we breathe to the food we eat.
No Excuse For Plastic Straws Anymore
Fortunately, there are alternatives to these pesky plastic straws that will not only help reduce your plastic waste, save the ocean and protect the wildlife, but save you (maybe your own life). In this blog post, we'll search for some of the best eco-friendly straws available today. And find them at a lower price than you may think.
GDMINLO 100 ct black biodegradable paper straws
EcoSmart Rice Straws - These straws are made from rice flour and tapioca starch, making them 100% biodegradable and compostable. They're non-toxic, odorless, tasteless, and contain no allergens or gluten... or plastic.
Best of all, they last up to 4 hours in cold drinks! And since they don’t contain any synthetics or chemicals, you won’t have to worry about leaching hazardous substances into your body when you use them.
The Festive Alternatives Of Paper!
Paper Drinking Straws – Marvin Stone first spiraled a piece of manilla (likely hemp fiber) around a pencil to create the first patented drinking straw back in 1888. Today they come in a riot of patterns and colors! No plastic here. Wouldn't Marvin be proud?
Check out the range of options Generic Brand has to offer for your next party! There's an outstanding selection for any theme or occasion imaginable. With these great alternatives, save some for your next party. They’re biodegradable and can decompose in just 7 days after being thrown away.
Plenty Of Zero Waste Options!
Generic Brand Pirate Theme pictured, but they have everything from Rose Garden to Christmas themes to choose from. Yep, who needs plastic? ALINK also offers a nice selection. And Comfy Package Store makes Straws sold in beautiful rose gold patterns. And at a reasonable price!
According to The Be Straw Free Campaign, approximately 500 million plastic straws are used (so must be sold) every day by Americans. That's a lot!
Comfy Package Store plus other options, check them out!
Plastic Straw Waste No More
With so many different colors and patterns to choose from, you can enjoy life sipping on your favorite beverage without worry of plastic left behind, harming the ocean environment or its wildlife. When you're done they can composted, recycled or tossed in the fire pit after your next gathering. No plastic toxins to go up in smoke. "But I don't live near the ocean", you might say. You'd be surprised to learn just how many inland plastic straws make it down to the ocean anyway. A staggering amount!
BOFA Eco Tableware even the packaging is 100% biodegradable, compostable paper harvested from forests with the most rigorous environmental standards.
Chunpak Store bulk prices for bartenders, love the ocean policy
All these green straws not only decompose in a matter of days to months, but they also release fewer toxins during the production process and generally require less energy and materials to manufacture than their plastic counterparts. Now that's what we call a win-win situation for both the environment and our conscience.
Yet Another Use For Bamboo
Bamboo Fiber Straws – Nothing more sustainable than bamboo. These straws might be right up your alley. Many brands make them. The clear ones are al popular choice for restaurants, Good heat resistance and price is affordable too. These tough, even reusable, straws are made from 100% natural bamboo fiber which makes them durable enough for everyday use, as well as earth and ocean friendly!
Check price TMX Bamboo
Can't beat bamboo for sturdiness. The thick ones can be rinsed it out and used time and again. Recycled easily when you're done. Since bamboo is one of the most sustainable plants in the world, you can feel good knowing that by using these straws, or any of these alternatives, instead of those horrid plastic ones, you’re helping reduce deforestation. When purchasing any paper straw, it's good to note the company's policies, how their source is managed, and is that source sustainable.
How Are Biodegradable Straws Made?
Manufacturers of bio-straws mix plant-based materials with water and natural binding agents to create a dough-like substance. They then shape the dough into straw-sized tubes and dry them using renewable energy sources such as solar or wind power. Voila, your eco-friendly biodegradable straws is ready to shake up your drink game!
Compare price between Pamboo and Ecovibe Bamboo
Pamboo Brand makes nice white bamboo fiber straws. Looks just like plastic! Only it not. The manufacturer of this product keeps consumer price in mind.
Disposable Plastic No More
Hardcore Avocado Straws – What a great use for all those avocado pits! Long been used as an up quality alternative material for disposable items like spoons and forks due to the quality of its natural strength and durability. We just need to start choosing material like this over any dreadful plastic.
Nowadays, avocado pits also being used for making reusable avocado pit straws which offer all the same benefits of traditional plastic ones but without any of the ocean or other eco-system environmental drawbacks associated with plastic Such as non-biodegradability or leaching toxins into our bodies when ingested. Plus they look super cool too!
check price for Hardcore Avocado
Joseph Friedman developed and sold the first flexible straw in 1937. The straw industry, at the time, rejected his flexi-straw idea. So he created his own industry, launching his own Flexible Straw Corporation that year. And those first flexible straws were certainly not plastic.
Today's Plant Based Flexible Straw - and in this case the term "plant based" means 100% free from petrochemicals and microplastics - KTOB makes the ultimate eco-friendly option. These 100% plant based flexible straws are 100% biodegradable and compostable thanks to their complete plant based composition (rice husks).
Sometimes You Want A Little Flex
All of these ocean-friendly flexible straws are not only biodegradable and also renewable, but they can handle your beverage with ease. They can withstand high temperatures, won't break down mid-sip, and they even pass the lip test - no weird tastes or textures here. No plastic chemical taste either, of course, since no plastic.
Not only do these look really cool but they’re also incredibly strong so you won’t have to worry about them breaking down easily like paper straws, which are meant to break down more readily, as a single use disposable. Plus they come in a variety of fun colors so you can enjoy sipping on your favorite beverage while saving money and protecting the planet at the same time!
KTOB check price
Imagine if aliens were to first encounter our civilization and witnessed us using plastic drinking straws. They would probably think we were a species that had a weird obsession with sucking plastic sticks.
Saving The Ocean
But in all seriousness, the impact of plastic waste drinking straws on our ocean environment is anything but a laughing matter. Every year, millions of plastic waste empty straws end up in our oceans, contributing to the pollution that kills marine life at an alarming rate and disrupts entire ocean ecosystems. It's time to ditch the silly plastic straw and embrace reusable and/or sustainable options. After all, we don't want the aliens to think we're a bunch of plastic waste suckers :)
Exciting New Biopolymer!
Giant Marine Straws! The fascinating thing about these PHADE straws is their unique composition. An exiting new biopolymer known as PHA, harvested from the cells of bacteria.
pHADE giant marine straws
That's right. Bacteria, grown to a fat and happy size, feasting on whichever food source is their preference, (in the case of PHADE Giant Marine Straws this is fermented canola), these bacterium are then starved to force them into their natural production of PHA. The development of PHAs is taking the industry and the biopolymer world by storm recently.. There are many examples of different PHA polymers. As varied as the many microorganisms that naturally produce them, and depending on what they feed on, from starches to sugars, glycerins to triglycerides and even methanes.
Repurpose Marine Degradable
Little Bugs: Big Job
A few other companies have embraced the same. Repurpose and 1st Defence Industries among them.We need lots and lots of these little PHA producing bugs because the really great thing about these particular biopolymers is how readily they biodegrade in any aquatic environment. If you're anywhere near he water, make sure you grab a box of these babies! A step closer to a plastic free ocean.
Got A Boat? Get Yer Box!
In the past, PHAs have been difficult to produce in enough volume to make economic sense. But that's changing now, with new facilities popping up every day created to house, nurture and harvest as many of these alternative plastic making microorganisms as possible. The end of plastics is on the horizon. Our plastic free ocean is achievable!
Repurpose also makes other plastic replacement products, as do many other plastic free straw making companies, so check them all out!
Not Out Of The Woods Yet
But we're far from out of the plastic woods, or ocean, yet. Plastic waste in the form of empty bottles, bags and drinking straws continue wreaking havoc on our ocean life and environments. It's been allowed to continue for far too long. What about recycled plastic straws, you may ask? Nope, no plastic straws, period! And why, when earth-friendly alternative alternatives abound? You can even get Sugarcane Straws! That's right! Perfect for those sweet tooth, sugary sipping drinks!
check price Sugar Cane Straws
So next time you're feeling parched, opt for the earth-friendly choice and sip on a veggie-based straw. You' can save the planet, one sip at a time. Cheers to eco-drinking! GREENPRINT make their straws from the Agave plant. Individually wrapped, they come in different sizes a few different colors. Bartenders take note, because these are great for cocktails and you can pick up a box of 1000 for about $50. check price
We Can Eliminate Plastic Within A Generation!
So next time you or you patron sips on your margarita, ask yourself, what extent am I contributing to the ocean plastic pollution crisis, or am I making a conscious choice to switch to a plant-based alternative? Your answer can be the difference between a better future for our planet or a scary plastic dystopian reality. Choose wisely, my friends. Cancel the plastic.
Check price for Greenprint
How Are The Bad Plastic Straws Made?
Before we get on with the last options on the NoPlastics eco-friendly alternative straw list, it's worth taking a brief look at how those enemy straws are made. Curious about the dark secrets of plastic straw production? It ain't pretty so brace yourself, dear readers, for the ugly truth.
First off, let's talk materials. The horrid plastic straw is typically made from a type of polymer called polypropylene, which is made using propylene gas (hydrocarbon fuel) which undergoes a chemical polymerization reaction, which forms the long chain plastic polymer. Similarly, polyethylene terephthalate is made - the polymer used for plastic water bottles.
The process usually involves melting polypropylene pellets at a scorching 470°F and then shoving this mess into a machine, whereby it is molded repeatedly into the familiar cylindrical form we all know and, unfortunately, love. The final product is then cut to size and packaged up for mass distribution.
The plastics industry relies heavily on a number of toxic chemicals to help create the final product. Polypropylene is often mixed chemicals such as butene and ethylene to improve its strength and flexibility. And let's not forget about the various hazardous additives and colorants that are often thrown in for good measure.
Disposable drinking straws not only pollute the planet, but are a substantial contributor to global warming. Responsible for generating a whooping estimated 1.8 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions – 3.4% of global emissions. About 90% of those emissions coming solely from its production.
If we don't drastically curb (or all out stop) our use of new plastics, even as we work to try to clean it up what has already accumulated, we may loose our home. This planet, and all of its creatures, including us, already suffer the consequences, much unseen, of plastic products in our lives. The environmental impacts of plastic drinking straws alone is staggering. The cost to human health is growing and apt to get a whole lot worse.
LARZACK Paper dye free, 1000 pack for about$20
Suck It Up Sustainably
Yep, it's time to suck it up - not through a plastic straw - but to face the inconvenient truth about the of environmental impact caused. Plastic drinking straws may seem like small, harmless items, but their popularity has greatly contributed to a massive global pollution problem. Let's take a sip of responsibility and say no to these pesky plastic pollution contributors. Alternatives to plastic abound. From disposable straws made from plants to reusable straws made from bamboo or metal or glass..
The Metal Straw Option
Can't forget the metal! And Amazon has many, stainless steal selections, in all sizes and at a decent price too.! Check the price between Hiwire and Vanaco for instance.
Or DHRBSXstore and VEHHE if a metal straw is your reusable preference. Stainless Steal is for sure better than better than plastic, can be recycled, and while not compostable, they certainly deserve a place on the NoPlastics List.
The Glass Straw Option
If the feel of a metal drinking straw does not appeal to you, as for many it does not, there is an equally large selection of glass straws on Amazon to choose from. Too many to review, perhaps in a separate post at a latter date. Like the metal ones, these glass straws are made by many brands, come in many colors and sizes, and are relatively inexpensive.
Made of lead-free borosilicate glass, eco friendly, no metal aftertaste,, BPA free, dishwasher safe, reusable and environmentally friendly because, of course, they are plastic free. By comparison....
Hummingbird pictured, makes colorful glass straws. HIWARE and HeykirHome, among many, many others have excellent deals. Check them out! All of these glass straws come with cleaning brushes, so you can easily keep them clear of food and film particles, to be reused again and again.
HekirHome Amazon has a bountiful selection of glass and metal straws to choose from.
Compostable Straws Won't Save Us?
Some folks believe that the new compostable straws now being re-produced are not the answer. The argument is made that most of these alternative compostable straws will not biodegrade as expected. Because most find their way to aquatic or landfill environments which lack the necessary sunlight and oxygen exposure required.
Commercial or industrial composting facilities are present in some locations, but few straws end up there. It's argued that these compostable alternatives will break down much the same as their plastic counterparts and act like regular plastics. Lingering intact for many lifetimes in the environment, breaking down into microparticles in much the same way, to be consumed by sea animals, fish, birds... and us.
But... while this may be true, so long as those microparticles contain no plastic polymers, the hazards are very much diminished, by a long shot.. The toxic chemicals and energy consumption alone involved in the plastics industry, plus the cost to human health and our environment should be of ever increasing concern. And the sooner the last new plastics making facility closes down, the better. That will be a happy day! We have more than enough plastic on our planet already, enough to keep plastic recycling facilities in business for generations to come!
We Can Do This!
No time like the present, no excuse. If at first we don't succeed, please try again later. The search a replacement to the dreaded plastic straw is that easy. From EcoSmart rice straws to plant based flexible ones to metal and glass reusables, there is something non plastic out there for everyone who wants to make a positive environmental change against plastic, while still enjoying their drinks with any of these excellent alternative! With all these amazing options available it should be easy enough for everyone to join together in order fight against single use plastics once and for all! Let's Fix That! 🤩🐳💧🌱✨🌎👏🏻
Can Toss Compostable Straws Away In 100% Plastic Free Garbage Bags
FAQs
Straws are so small, are they really such a problem?
Amazing how such a small thing accumulates. Over 6.8 million tons of plastic straws make their way to the ocean alone each year. That number is expected to double by 2025.
Are some alternative straws only partially plastic free?
It's true some manufacturers combine potato starch with other ingredients, including plastic. Making their products appear earth-friendly, but break down into the same microplastics polluting our waterways, oceans and overall planetary ecosystem. Make sure the ones you get are entirely 100% plastic free.
What are microplastics?
Small pieces of plastic debris resulting from the breakdown of single use plastic consumer products and the plastics industry's industrial waste. Microplastics are found in the water we drink, the food we eat, even the air we breath. A growing problem, microplastics can be found everywhere on the planet, from the deepest ocean trenches to the polar ice fields. And the breakdown of plastic straws are a notorious culprit.
For more information:
Renee Hewitt
Sandbox Staff
Amy Ziff
Footprint
https://cen.acs.org/business/biobased-chemicals/PHA-biopolymer-whose-time-finally/97/i35