Straws – our greatest enemy since that poor, viral turtle video in 2015. Has it really been a few years since discovering that plastic straws take up to 200 years to decompose?
Fortunately, our responses have not been in vain. Multiple cities, such as Seattle and Washington, D.C., have banned plastic straws since 2018. Compostable straws are now in effect, and the national Be Straw campaign has encouraged up to 80% of customers to reject those little plastic fiends that litter our beaches and harm wildlife.
But what if you do like that sipping experience without touching the lip of a restaurant cup? How can we slowly enjoy that smoothie without beginning to taste that weak, paper straw? "Compostable" plastics that replaced the regular plastic straws have a whole other slew of issues like not actually breaking down unless under the perfect conditions which often aren't offered in most municipalities.
No Straw November dedicates a month to no-straw usage to bring awareness of the U.S.’s daily discarding of 500 million plastic straws which is often the starting point for most beginning a low waste journey. To optimize this month, two alternatives can be achieved by reducing the number of straws: bringing your own or straw dieting.
Wait a minute – bringing your own? Isn’t it “no straw” for a reason?
By using a Collapsible Straw and Cutlery Set, you can throw “single-use” out the window. Made from food grade stainless steel with silicone tips, this sustainable option can support No Straw November while also respecting your sipping desires. The best feature? It's pocket-sized and comes in a travel bag to safely carry your straws and cutlery. Now that’s a win-win.
For “straw dieting” during No Straw November, it is pretty self-explanatory.... Just say "NO to the straw!" Ways to optimize your experience, can be improved by using some of our other drinkware essentials. By using reusable, travel-friendly drinkware such as our Portable Silicone Wine Cups, you can further to reduce plastic waste by bringing your own cup whereever you may go: bbq's, parties, gatherings, picnics and more! If you require a bigger portion, you can opt for upcycling a mason jar and turning it into a zero waste tumbler with one of our bamboo mason jar lids.
Whether it may be upgrading your straw to a reusable or changing your habits, your sipping choices this month will make Mother Earth and her turtles happy!
Won't you join us this "No Straw November" and skip the plastic straw?!
