Ocean plastic is a huge problem; to remedy this issue, the European Union voted to ban single-use plastic items throughout the EU by 2021.
Around 4% of the world’s plastic waste is plastic straws.
Thankfully, people around the world are using alternatives to plastic, including glass, bamboo, plant fiber, and coconut husks. In Italy, they’re now drinking from pasta straws.
Italians are well known for coming up with revolutionary designs such as ballet, jeans, and eyewear.
Now, another Italian symbol has made headlines as a solution to one of the biggest environmental problems.
Pasta straws might be the answer we were looking for to alternative plastic straws.
There has recently been a photo posted by Reddit user GranFabio, that’s gone viral.
People loved it, generating up to 77.4 k upvotes.
The picture reveals the initiative that some bars in Italy have been taking towards the environment.
Credit GranFabio
GranFabio wrote:
Here in Italy, bars are starting to use pasta as straws to reduce plastic use. Our technology amazes the world another time.
One person wrote, “Italian engineering at its finest,” while another responded with, “Now you’re speaking my linguine!”
However, to completely embrace the eco-friendly way of life, these establishments should also consider replacing the plastic cups as well. Pasta cups?
Italy isn’t the only place to use pasta straws.
There is a London based company that sells pasta straws called Stroodles.
Pasta straws are 100% vegan and biodegradable made from just wheat and water. As a bonus, the straws are tasteless so that they won’t interfere with the flavor of ones’ drink.
Maxim Gelmann, the Stroodles company founder, said:
Stroodles is not just a straw company, and there is a much bigger picture, as I feel I can leave a long-term impact by creating a ripple effect by triggering many small changes all across the world, especially among people that are less conscious of sustainability and their respective actions and behaviors.
Gelmann points out that Stroodles is a movement and an educational company that is a gateway to more sustainable behaviors and mindsets.
“The straw is just our first channel (of communication) in our mission to fight plastic waste. We thereby want to attract and reach the less (environmentally) conscious people and show them how easy it is to make sustainable changes and have them enter their life,” he adds.
The approach is to do this in a fun and non-preachy, non-finger-pointing manner. I rather aim for people to engage with a Stroodle, and then themselves start asking themselves the right questions, like ‘Why is there a pasta straw in my drink?’ Thus, little realizations like that and them coming to their own conclusions, rather than being sold/preached. [It’s] much more powerful in creating behavioral and mindsets change. And … maybe next time one is offered a plastic bag, they will behave differently.
In cold drinks, Stroodles’ pasta straws have a long life, lasting up to 1 hour. The colder the drink is, the longer the straws last. Therefore, you can technically keep refilling your drink, and the straws can be reused over and over again. “We dare you on how long you can, Stroodle,” the company says. However, the company recommends not to drink hot drinks through the straw, because it’s possible to get burned.
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