What are eco-friendly straws made of? 2022 Best Plastic Straws Alternatives

Nowadays, nobody will be surprised by the fact that plastic is harmful to the environment. Therefore, on June 22, 2022, the Government of Canada published the Single-Use Plastics Prohibition Regulations (SUPPR). These regulations are to prohibit single-use plastics including:

• Checkout bags
• Cutlery
• Foodservice ware made from or containing problematic plastics that are hard to recycle
• Ring carriers
• Stir sticks
• Straws

The regulation leaves many different sectors of businesses searching for an alternative to replace their single-use plastic. In the Food & Beverage industry, especially the beverage industry, the usage of sing-use straws plays a major part in their operation and being one of the most frequently found items in the ocean, large cooperation such as Starbucks, McDonald’s, Burger King, and others have taken the initiative in switching their plastic straws to paper straws ahead of time. Even though the change to paper straws was an effort to reduce harmful waste and pollution, it did not react positively with consumers' experience. Many people find the paper material creates a negative effect on their beverage.

Fortunately, there are other alternatives available in the market. When searching online for biodegradable, eco-friendly, or reusable straws near me. Several options will appear in your search result and depending on the purpose of your search, the material of the straws varies.

For Single-Use Purpose:

Most single-use straws are either made by plant-based materials which are compostable or biodegradable. Several plant-based materials that are available in Canada includes:

• Wheat
• Bamboo
• Agave
• Hay
• Sugarcane

The most eco-friendly straws are made almost entirely out of plant fibers and depending on the material of the straws they typically decompose within a few mothers. You might be curious about the process these straws are made; it is actually quite simple. Take sugarcane for example:

1. Starting off from sugarcane crops
2. Move to sugarcane cultivation
3. Then Sugar Productions
4. Leftover fiber is either discarded or incinerated if not usable
5. Remaining fiber is sent to manufacturing and processing
6. Finally, biodegradable drinking straws are being produced

Once the straws are decomposed, they are being used to fertilize the soil and the whole process will repeat itself again. What’s more about plant-based straws is that they offer different varieties of sizes, including Bubble tea, smoothies, and cocktail straws.

Click here to get free samples

For Reusable Purpose:

Reusable straws have gained much attention over the last few years. Now, when visiting almost any grocery store you can find a bunch of reusable eco-friendly straws made from various materials such as:

• Stainless steel
• Bamboo
• Glass
• Silicones

The production of reusable straws may cause a lot of energy and resources that are environmentally unfriendly. However, when you take into consideration the durability of reusable straws which can be anything from 3-5 years, this makes it much more sustainable and if cared for properly, especially for stainless steel, reusable straws can last a lifetime. The only downfall for reusable straws is that they are not suitable for restaurant settings.

 Final Words

Changing from plastic to a more sustainable material is not as easy as it seems, especially with the government regulation that will take effect in such a short period of time, but it is very important for the environment. Disposable plastic straws are a real problem for oceans, animals, and people. Thus, businesses and individuals need to make a conscious move to plastic straw alternatives. For individuals who are looking to buy eco-friendly straws, you would be able to find it in grocery stores or even online. As for business, going online and searching for vendors in your location that carries biodegradable straws is just a click away.

Let’s change the planet for the better! Choose our 100% plant-based biodegradable Sugarcane straws at Straw Matters!

Curious about our product and want to test it out? For a limited time, we will ship you samples so you can "try before you buy." Click here to get free samples. 

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