Reusable Straws

It's hard to image what 500 million of anything looks like, let alone plastic straws. The folks at Eco-Cycle figured that 500 million straws, the daily number of straws thrown out in the US, would fill 127 school buses!

So, what's a good alternative?

Reusable straws. And specifically those made from either glass or 304 grade stainless steel. Plastic straws are ususally made from polypropylene (#5) or polyethylene (#2) which is safer than how they used to be made with polystyrene (#6). But, even though they can be recycled, they tend to be thrown out.

You might be thinking... a "glass" straw? That sounds disastrous and would likely be broken within days in your house. Here's the thing: the glass straws we carry are made from borosilicate glass (think test tubes) which is the strongest glass commercially available and even more importantly, does not leach ANY toxins.

There are several different styles of glass straws: Simple Elegance is a standard style of drinking straw that also comes in a smaller version (great for kids!) called "Shorty." Choose the Beautiful Bends style if you are accustomed to drinking with the graceful bent straw. For added personality, the colored Decorative Dots glass straws are not only fun but functional too. They help with color coding drinks at a party and the dots help to prevent the straw from rolling off the table. Glass Dharma also makes an amazing testament to their product: "The glass straws are covered by an unbelievable Lifetime Guarantee Against Breakage - if they ever break, we’ll replace them for FREE!" It is also recommended to clean the glass straws with either a brush cleaner or in your dishwasher. And all of the glass straws fit conveniently into a hemp sleeve for taking with you on the go. 

And yes, 2 year old Merrick is drinking a nutritious green smoothie (happily) through a glass straw!

If glass isn't your style, we also recommend Stainless steel strawsmade of high quality 18/8 stainless steel. As not all stainless steel is created equal, it is important to note that this type (type 304) is of superior quality--it's durable, corrosion-resistant, and will not leach into foods. The stainless straws come in two 2 styles: STRAIGHT and BENT. Although the straws are dishwasher safe, it's recommended that a simple rinse after each use will simplify cleaning. Also recommended for cleaning is the stainless steel brush cleaner.

And finally, for those who like to spoon and slurp - stainless steel spoon-straws will help with just that. Also made of 18/8 stainless steel, the spoons are 8 1/2" long and perfect to scoop up the remaining pieces of fruit too big to make it up the straw. The colorful bands help identify drinks too!

What drink do you tend to drink through a straw?