Did you know that before the 1960’s most people didn’t have or use straws? Sure, the Sumerians used them  back in 3000 B.C.E. for drinking beer and people in and around the Argentines used a brombilla (made out of metal and used as a straw and sieve for tea) hundreds of years ago. The ‘modern’ straw wasn’t patented until the late 1800s and designed for convenience.

In the US alone, more than 500 million straws are used every day. Straws are usually made out of plastic, which doesn’t break down but eventually separates into small pieces which can be ingested by marine life. Millions of tonnes of straws end up in the oceans! These disposable products go from a very short usefulness to a huge environmental issue in a short period of time. Straws have been found in marine animals’ stomachs and stuck in other life threatening ways, sea turtles in particular, have been greatly impacted by straws in the oceans.

A small change in your daily use of straws can make a huge impact:

  Say no to straws offered at restaurants and fast food locations.

  Pick up straws littering the beach and parks.

  If you really love straws, buy a few reusable ones

Good Alternatives To Plastic Straws:

• Paper Straws – Eco-friendly and inexpensive.

• Titanium Straws – strong, odorless, non-allergenic and non-corrosive. It’s also dishwasher safe.

• Stainless Steel Straws – durable, less expensive than titanium.

• Glass Straws – BPA free, non-toxic, reusable and durable.

• Bamboo Straws – Eco-friendly, compostable.

Sources:

“Be Straw Free: Reduce Plastic Consumption | Xanterra Parks & Resorts.” Be Straw Free: Reduce Plastic Consumption | Xanterra Parks & Resorts. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2017. <http://www.choosetogostrawless.com/>.

“No Straw Please.” Plastic Pollution Coalition. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2017. <http://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/no-straw-please/>.

“The Amazing History and the Strange Invention of the Bendy Straw”, Derek Thompson, The Atlantic, November 22, 2011.