8 good reasons to give up plastic straws

Do you still use Plastic straws? I stopped doing that some time ago. Unfortunately, it happens to me once again that I forget to tell in the restaurant. Then my drink arrives with one of the plastic straws. Why I have decided, in the spirit of the plastic-free life in the future completely on Plastic straws I'll tell you how to do without in this article. I'll also show you some great eco-friendly alternatives to plastic straws - and here we go!

1. plastic straws litter our environment

Every day, about 3-6 billion plastic straws are produced. That's a whole 900 tons of plastic waste produced every day, and that's just for plastic straws! In Germany alone, we use 40 billion plastic straws every year. If you were to glue them all together, the result would be a length that could reach 20 times from the earth to the moon. Or over 600,000 times from the west of Germany to the easternmost point. Totally crazy. Unfortunately, many people ignore the unpleasant question of where they end up. Because: plastic straws take a very, very long time to break down. The truth is that they end up either on one of the huge mountains of garbage or in our oceans. Also take a look at the articles Plastic waste in the environment and Garbage whirlpool in the sea an. Let's move on to the next point that speaks against plastic straws. Because we're not just polluting the environment with our trash.

2. plastic straws hurt animals

By loading the video, you accept YouTube's privacy policy.
Learn more

Load video

Always unlock YouTube

If the environment isn't enough of a reason to give up plastic straws, perhaps the animal kingdom will help. Around 90% of the sea's inhabitants have already been once with Plastic in connection. The poor animals suffer for our unjustifiable plastic consumption, as you can see in this video using the example of a turtle. It really hurt me when I saw the video for the first time. The animals suffer great pain and sometimes even face death due to inflammation. In my opinion, there is no more important reason to do without plastic straws!

3. they are among the 10 most found items on the beach

For so-called Beach Clean-Ups every 7th item found is a plastic straw. No wonder, when we use 40 billion plastic straws a year in Germany alone and enjoy drinks so much on the beach. The plastic problem of our earth is getting bigger and bigger. The fact that plastic straws, of all things, are so often found on the beach shows how recklessly we treat our planet. A big warning that something urgently needs to change in our minds. Protecting our beautiful beaches is a really important reason to say no to plastic straws and to use them in the sense of the Zero Waste Lifestyle to be rejected.

4. making plastic straws costs energy

Another good reason to avoid plastic straws is the massive amount of energy used in their production. Disposable plastic straws have a very short usage time. Some are only used for 10 minutes and then already end up in the trash. Is the costly manufacturing process and the C02 that is emitted really worth it? Not in my opinion!

5. Seattle wants to ban plastic straws

Seattle shows it can be done! As of July 1, 2018, plastic straws will be completely banned in Seattle. The city has recognized what a negative impact the plastic flood has on our environment and is now setting a good example. I hope that more cities will follow suit and also recognize the problem. Change is sorely needed, especially in Germany!

6. plastic straws have no use

Plastic straws may be colorful and therefore may be quite funny for children. If you give the children (see also Environmental protection in school) the problem with the plastic straws to heart, they will be from the many alternatives that already exist, certainly even more enthusiastic! There was never a time when there were exclusively plastic straws. As the name implies, people used to sip from ordinary straws - Plastic was invented and replaced many other natural things besides straws. But necessary was never the plastic straw.

7. giving up plastic straws is so easy!

If you want to do something good for the environment, there's nothing more straightforward than simply doing without the plastic straws in your Saturday night drink. By simply saying, "No straws for me, please," you're doing a lot more than you might think. The plastic problem on Earth is huge and every step, no matter how small, makes a difference. "What difference does a straw make?" say 7 billion people. Think about it.

8. there are many plastic straw alternatives!

What do you need plastic straws for? There are so many alternatives to the polluters these days - Here they are!

Stainless steel straws

The stainless steel straw is my absolute favorite of the plastic straw alternatives.
He not only looks great, but is also completely tasteless and can easily be washed in the dishwasher. In addition, he is really robust! You can get reusable stainless steel straws here*.

Glass straws

Those who are not as enthusiastic about the stainless steel straw as I am, may be happy about glass straws! Glass straws can also be washed in the dishwasher. And they are tasteless. The glass straws are not quite as robust as stainless steel straws, but if you handle them well, they will last you a long time! Really good glass straws you get here*.

Bamboo straws

Then there is the third alternative for plastic straws, the bamboo straw. I personally am a big fan of bamboo. The disadvantage of this straw is that you can not wash it in the dishwasher, but only by hand. It's best to use lukewarm water and soap for this. You can get the CareElite bamboo straws here.

No straw at all!

Have you ever thought about that? Why do we drink from a straw at all, when we can drink water, coffee, and other beverages without a straw? 😉 Of course, we've gotten into the habit of sipping cocktails, fruit juices, and other drinks through a straw. But really necessary, he is not. So why not just Say no and reject the straw altogether?

Disposable alternatives

Of course are reusable Alternatives best for the environment and also more in line with the zero waste lifestyle. But if it is too complicated for you or if you want to make a large plastic free party If you're planning an event where straws are a must, there are two good disposable alternatives that are much better for the environment than plastic straws.

• Straw Straws: Yes, you read that right, these are straws made of straw. At least they live up to their name. The straw made of straw is definitely tasteless and of course super easy to break down. Plus, I think it just looks 1000 times better than plastic straws. And at the party he is an eye-catcher. Straws from straw you get here*.
• Paper straws: The second option is the paper straws. They are not quite as sustainable as the straws, but still much better for the environment than plastic straws. The downside to paper straws is that they will eventually soak. But that takes quite a while and since you rarely use a straw for more than 30 minutes either way, that shouldn't be a problem. Paper straws you get here*.

So are plastic straws really necessary?

No they are not. I hope that these 8 reasons against plastic straws will help you to avoid plastic straws in the future. As you've seen, there are already plenty of alternatives that are reusable, washable and inexpensive. Or maybe you'll do what I do and simply do without straws altogether.
Do you have questions, suggestions or further ideas in the fight against plastic straws? Then feel free to leave me a comment below this post!

Kind regards,

PS: Here in the Plastic free blog you will get many more tips on the topic of plastic avoidance. Have fun!