THE LAST STRAW
Single
use straws made sense when contaminated cups were an issue. Thanks to
improved hygiene standards, catching infectious diseases from drinking
vessels is less of an issue but now we have bigger things to worry
about. Disposable plastic drinking straws are an environmental disaster.
The problem with straws Unable to be
recycled, plastic straws are used for 20 minutes at most, then remain
intact for hundreds of years. At the popular Manly Beach in Sydney,
Australia, scuba diver Kasey Turner found 319 straws during a 20-minute
snorkel. Only 1 day later she returned and found an additional 294
straws at the same spot! The following weekend she repeated this
exercise and found a further 150 straws, showing just how quickly these
straws accumulate. And they’re everywhere. According to the Ocean Conservancy’s 2017 Report, straws made the list of top 10 pollutants littering international coastlines.
Besides making a mess, straws do terrible damage to aquatic life. A video posted
in 2015 showing a plastic drinking straw being painfully extracted from
the nostril of a turtle off Costa Rica (the video has a warning that it
may be inappropriate for some users because it is so upsetting). Straws
are even swallowed by seabirds, which then puncture vital organs or
block airways leading to a horrible death.
Compostable
drinking straws are not much better than plastic straws as very few
people compost them, and they are not designed to break down in the
ocean. Even if some plastic straws do manage to break down, they become
smaller microplastics that fish then eat, and we then eat those fish,
plastic and all (yuk). By 2025 it’s been projected there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans.
Straws don’t always suck Straws
do have some great uses. Not only do they give us that Instagram
perfect pout as we sip on a cocktail, they also keep ladies’ lipstick
intact, and make for a less messy drinking experience for kids
(especially in the car). Straws can also reduce contact between sugary
drinks and teeth, which helps prevent cavities and dental erosion. As
straws send liquid to the back of the mouth they reduce flavour exposure
for those suffering from nausea (e.g during chemotherapy or morning
sickness). Bendy straws also make drinking easier for the less-able,
such as the ill, frail, or those with coordination and movement
difficulties.
Do you really need a straw? You
don’t drink beer or wine through a straw, so why not just say “no straw
please”. Your drinks taste just as good (probably better) without a
plastic straw. Perhaps a bit more “slow eating” (and drinking) would
help. Straws tend to go with grab ‘n go drinks with bubbles and sugar.
Let’s face it, we could do with less of these. Taking water with you in a
re-usable bottle has health and environmental benefits.
But I’m a sucker for straws!
For those of you who can’t give up your straws, there are alternatives,
and trendy ones at that. Some bars and cafes already have stainless
steel, re-useable straws. You already use their metal cutlery, so why
not a metal straw? Metal straws have the added benefit of becoming
chilled, which makes your drink even more refreshing, and no plastic
taste. You can even buy a stainless-steel straw for home-use and they
often come with a cleaning brush. Other plastic straw alternatives
include copper, glass and bamboo straws. You can even buy straws from
Harvest Straws made from (would you believe it) straw! That’s right,
straws have come full circle and are now once again made of wheat or rye
straw.
Keeping it green, in a nutshell
- Single-use plastic straws are an environmental disaster and can be devastating to marine life.
- To reduce plastic pollution, asks for drinks with “no straw please”
- For straw devotees, try a reusable drinking straw.
Nicole Senior is an Accredited Nutritionist, author, consultant, cook, food enthusiast and mother who strives to make sense of nutrition science and delights in making healthy food delicious. Contact: You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or check out her website.
