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Straw alternatives
Plastic straws are small, light and practical - so why should you use straw alternatives made from other materials? Despite their small size, plastic straws cause a lot of damage. With 360 billion plastic straws consumed worldwide every year, this is becoming a serious ecological problem.
For these reasons, plastic straws should be avoided:
Environmentally harmful production:
The production of plastic requires crude oil - a limited resource whose extraction is associated with a major environmental impact.
Formation of microplastics:
The plastic straw disintegrates into smaller pieces over the course of many decades. This creates microparticles that can enter the soil and water.
Bad ingredients:
Plasticizers such as BPA (bisphenol A) are often used in plastic straws. These are suspected of being harmful to health.
Pollution of the environment:
Because plastic straws are so small and light, they quickly end up in the environment When waste is shipped, it is often stored at ports, so plastic straws can end up in the oceans.
Poor degradability:
A plastic straw is made of polypropylene. Plastic straws still end up in the environment for various reasons. There, it takes up to 500 years for polypropylene to decompose.
Danger to animals:
The thin straws can easily be swallowed or inhaled by wild animals. We humans are also affected: Microplastics can be ingested through the consumption of fish.
These straw alternatives are available
You don't have to do without a straw for your favorite drinks. In the following
you will find an overview of the straw alternatives with their respective advantages and disadvantages.
disadvantages compared to the plastic straw.
Paper straws
Paper straws are an obvious straw alternative - after all, they were used before plastic was invented. But the paper straw is also a disposable product with a questionable environmental footprint.
Stainless steel straws
Metal drinking straws were already in use 5000 years ago. They are still recommended by environmental organizations today.
Silicone straws
Straw alternatives made of silicone are flexible and soft, and as they are unbreakable, they often appear to be a suitable alternative for children. Caution is advised here due to the often questionable ingredients. Although silicone straws are reusable products, their eco-balance is rather negative due to their ingredients.
Glass straws
Straw alternatives made of glass are particularly elegant and stylish. With the Artesano glass straw set, Villeroy & Boch offers you pure drinking pleasure for hot and cold drinks. As the ecological balance of glass straws is impressive, they are recommended by environmental associations.
Advantages of the glass drinking straw:
- Glass drinking straws are reusable.
- Glass drinking straws can be disposed of with the glass waste.
- Glass drinking straws are recyclable and therefore environmentally friendly.
- The material does not contain any harmful ingredients.
- The transparent glass is stylish and makes cleaning easier.
- Glass is a particularly hygienic material, as bacteria are
smooth surface can hardly adhere.
- A glass drinking straw is dishwasher safe.
- Glass is completely tasteless.
Disadvantages of the glass drinking straw:
- Although glass is very stable, it is not completely shatterproof.
Bamboo straws
Bamboo is a natural material - with all its advantages and disadvantages. Despite a certain natural antibacterial effect, the hygiene of bamboo is not optimal. Bamboo drinking straws may therefore be used in private kitchens, but not in restaurants.
Straws made from apple scraps
One of the original straw alternatives is the edible straw made from apple scraps left over from apple juice production. The apple straw is an edible disposable product.
Straws made from seaweed
Straw alternatives made from seaweed have been developed by a New York company. They are similar to conventional plastic straws in terms of weight, use and mouthfeel. They are much more environmentally friendly.
Do without straws?
Replacing a plastic straw with an ecological alternative is an important contribution to protecting our environment. Today there are many good straw alternatives to choose from. For many people, glass straws are the best choice: They combine an attractive appearance with a good eco-balance, but at some point - after multiple, often years of use - a glass drinking straw has reached the end of its life. If sustainability is important to you, always use drinking straws consciously. Enjoying drinks with straws less often extends the life of your straw - and protects the environment. Whether it's a warming hot drink in winter or a cool drink on a summer evening - drinking with a straw remains something special.