Plastic straws, as we are all aware, really aren’t a great concept. Sure, they get the job done, but they’re also responsible for a significant amount of ocean and plastic pollution and further have claimed the lives of many animals who mistakenly ingest them.
All in all, they’re not so great.
Over the past couple of years, there has been a tremendous push to wean out plastic straws and replace them with biodegradable paper ones. This initiative is a positive one in various contexts, and, in addition to benefiting our planet, purchasing certain paper straws also benefits farmers, according to an article from The Good News Network.
“Harnessing raw nature to replace single-use plastics, Equo Straws has launched with a 100% biodegradable and compostable straw using natural ingredients sourced from local farming communities.
“Unveiled on May 18 on Kickstarter, they hit their funding goal within 30 days and intend to produce four flavors of eco-friendly straws through the company’s innovative use of materials from nature.
“Tran-Vu, who previously worked in brand management for consumer goods companies like Unilever, LG, and Bacardi, was inspired to build a sustainable future for her nephew while working to support local economic growth and job creation in her parents’ hometown in Vietnam,” the article explains.
Equo Straws offers their products in coconut, rice, dried grass and sugarcane-based entities, all of which are available for purchase at a reasonable price of $21 for two packs of 50 straws each.
“’Traveling the world and seeing the massive amount of plastic in the forests, oceans, and beaches breaks my heart,’ (Tran-Vu says in the article). “’I really want future generations to have a chance at experiencing a better Earth. Also, after returning to Vietnam, I wanted to create jobs for local farming communities and give them a steady income.’”
If you didn’t have a reason before reading this to purchase paper straws, I think this should be a pretty good motivator.
ontheedgeofeverything 