The harm of non-degradable disposable plastic on the environment is crystal clear. By legislation or other ways, many countries and regions have limited or totally banned the use of disposable plastics.

For a long time, people have been focused on big plastic items, like water bottles, food containers and plastic bags. However, the pollution caused by small plastic products also needs attention. In 2019, UK has adopted the law that in addition to some medical needs, UK will phase out the sales of disposable plastic straws by 2020.

Why ban the sale of plastic straws?

First, of course, there is gargantuan volume of plastic production.

According to statistics, there are 190 million tons plastic products around the world last year and around 546 billion plastic straws and per capita use over 30.

Second, it has extremely low recycling and reusing rate.

A plastic bag that we may get after shopping is used to hold ends and odds, used as a trash bag or used to contain other things after we bring it back home. But we usually get a straw when we buy drinks or order takeaway food and throw it away after using.

And plastic straws are difficult to capture with modern recycling equipment and finally they will be disposed by the landfill in batches. Few-minute-used straw will become ever-lasting in the landfill because it can degrade in the soil for 500 years.

drink with straw

Cold drink brings happiness for a while and leaves the discarded plastic straw in the corner for 500 years.

It’s imperative to reduce production and use of disposable plastic straws. But iced milk tea or coffee is also a live-saving straw for sweltering day and painstaking task.

So, how can we protect the environment and conveniently satisfy the daily spiritual needs as the same time

We make a guideline by arranging the information scattered in the different passages and recent news. We hope that you can join our action to be a person who cares sustainable environmental protection.

  1. Reduce acceptance and use of single-use straw.

The single-use plastic straw is popular not just for its convenience, it also makes people feel hygienic.

Normally, we can tell server or note no utensils in the food delivery app. If we are the type of person who has three meals on food deliver and drinks coffee or milk tea at 3 p.m., one person can save about 1,456 single-use plastic straws a year just for no using straw.

McDonald’s and Starbucks have started using strawless lids or single-use paper straws instead of providing single-use plastics straws.

However, most restaurants and takeaway food still provide single-use straw. Actually, most of time we don’t need a straw.

  1. Purchase your own reusable straw.

Certainly, not every drink can be drunk by simply lifting the lid. Enjoying drinks with a straw is a more elegant and convenient choice when we aren’t at home.

So at this time you need to have your own reusable straw.

The first step is to choose proper material.

The single-use plastic straw is popular not just for its convenience, it also makes people feel hygienic.

As many countries gradually impose restrictions on the use of plastics, many producers begin to find the alternatives to disposable plastic straws in terms of material, size, shape or carrying way. They explore making it with paper, glass, bamboo, metal or even high-tech polymers.

bamboo straw

reusable straw for environmental protection

All these materials have their own advantages and disadvantages. Glass straws and bamboo straws are light to carry while glass straws are fragile and bamboo straws are prone to get mildewed in hot and humid weather in the south. Paper straws are light and degradable,but it can’t solve wastefulness for its single-use characteristic. Therefore, stainless steel that is durable, easy to clean, and less prone to breed bacteria and and stink becomes one of the leading reusable materials.

With proper use, a stainless-steel straw can be used for 30 or 40 years.

You also need to choose the suitable shape that best suits you according to your daily habit after choosing good material.

This is a reusable straw, meaning that the straw is expected to take the place of single-use plastic straw in daily drinking. But most reusable straws, especially those made of metal, are fixed in shape.

Choose a suitable straw.

If you are an ordinary iced coffee lover, a delicate stainless-steel straw with small caliber can completely meet your needs and it doesn’t take up too much space in your bag.

If you’re a “pearl lover” who orders milk tea and notes a lot of pearls, you’ll probably need a bigger straw to get both the pearls and the boba into your mouth.

When you have your own straw, don’t forget proper maintenance. Nowadays, most reusable straws in the market with a brush attached to clean straws. After used for drinks every day, the straw shall be taken back home and cleaned both inside and outside. The next day, we can take it to enjoy the cool drink again.

  1. Prior to choose restaurant supporting reusable utensils.

Apart from bringing your own straws, you can also help more people form a habit by supporting restaurants dedicated to promoting reusable straws.

Today, many restaurant owners support people to bring their own straws and cups. Starbucks, for example, is known to offer discounts to customers who bring their own cups.

reusable metal straw

stainless steel straw

In addition to offering discounts for customers who bring their own cups and straws, some restaurants have replaced disposable straws in their drinks with reusable ones, which is not only environmentally friendly, but also can be combined according to the feature of the drink and the container, as part of the design of the whole drink.

Businesses and producer, of course, have more resources and influence to change the situation that disposable plastic straws are misusing. As ordinary consumers, we can also vote by foot — giving priority to restaurants and drink shops that offer reusable utensils and straws to support their continued operation.

Reduce the use of one straw per day, buy your own straw, and choose a restaurant that supports reusable straws…These actions seem trivial

Trivial as they are, so they don’t require us to make big changes to our lifestyle. But if we can stick to these little habits, it can make a huge difference to our environment and our lives.

Simple Flask is committed to environmental protection. Let us work together to love the earth.

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