But today I am going to talk about straws. Yep, little plastic straws!
If you are not yet aware of what disposable plastic straws (and other disposable plastic things) are doing to this earth, here is an excerpt from Strawesome's website;
"In the beginning, there were plastic straws everywhere and people thought this was good because straws helped suck things up faster and easier without messes. You could find plastic straws almost anywhere a drink was served.
But soon plastic straws were found in places that were not so good. They were found used and thrown away along streets, on the beach, and even in the waterways. Used plastic straws were everywhere. But it got worse.
Plastic straws were found in the bodies of animals that lived out at sea (like in turtles’ noses). That was terrible to discover, but then something unimaginable and worse was found….the Pacific garbage patch! It was a huge collection (like hundreds of tons) of plastic things floating on the ocean the size of Texas! Someone did some research and discovered that millions of straws every day were being used once and then thrown away. And most everyone didn’t even realize what they were doing. Who’s great idea was this? But it got worse. Plastic was discovered to be toxic and non-decomposable. It was both unhealthy AND not going anywhere, EVER! Yikes!!!..."
If you haven't seen the many videos floating around Facebook and Youtube where plastic straws are being pulled out of turtles noses, and turtles are being pulled out of the ocean wrapped in plastic and garbage, go and watch those now.
Well, right here I have for you the solution to the plastic straw epidemic! Glass straws!
Taken from the Strawesome website, here is how Strawesome's glass straws got started;
"A creative glass artist made a straw from glass. Huh? A glass straw? What is that? Is it a bean shooter? Is it a crack pipe? No silly, it is a straw you drink from. Kinda like all those plastic ones you use all day long, but these are non-toxic, can be used over and over again, and look way cool like art. Oh, I get it. That’s a great idea! Freaking brilliant! I can’t believe no one thought of this before. Since I don’t want to use plastic straws anymore, can I get a glass straw? Can I get a bunch of them for my family and friends? Can I get long ones, short ones, bent ones, and colored ones? Please? Pretty please? Yes! Of course! We would love to! How about we work together and spread the word to everyone we know that there’s a solution to this plastic straw problem and make the world a better place in our lifetime? Sound like a good idea? Yes! Let’s do it!
So Strawesome was born and people on earth lived happily ever after with their glass straws and healthy planet."
These straws are so unbelievably smooth, I love the feeling of drinking out of them, they make even the blandest water exciting! And when I'm drinking something with ice, the straw gets super cold, and makes the drink even colder, and even better tasting! Yay! Plus Strawesome is a small business which you know I love!
I bought four of them, gave one to my Mom (she loves it, she sent me the picture below and said, "I like drinking out of this straw! :D), gave one to my husband, and have two for myself!
Strawesome.com is where you can see how exactly they are made (so cool!), find out how to clean them (super simple!), design your own glass straw (wow!), and lots more! Click on the banner below, the banners on the sidebar, or any other banner in this blog post, to get started shopping for your very own Strawesome glass straw!
Strawesome's Mission Statement;
"The world is plagued with plastic debris and toxins in our oceans and water ways, on and in the soil of our land, and in the bodies of animals and humans. It is a major problem. Rather than just give up and 'deal with it', Strawesome was born to do something about it. Since March 2009, we have been working towards sufficient awareness and action to forever eliminate the need for single-use plastic drinking straws. Our mission is to provide the world’s most artistic, eco-friendly, and health-conscious drinking straw. Combined with a lifetime warranty and great customer service, there’s every reason to join the alternative straw movement and eliminate the need for single-use plastic drinking straws. Will you join us?"
I will! But what is the best way to make an impact with these glass straws? The first thing is to buy a couple for yourself.
Share all those sad turtle Facebook videos, but instead of just sharing them and leaving it at that, talk about re-usable glass straws as a solution!
Start a conversation! Tell people about your experience using re-usable glass straws.
Share with your friends why #plasticsucks.
Make a vow to cut back on plastic products, and cut out plastic straws completely!
Let me know all about your Strawesome journey, I can't wait to hear all about it, and see your pictures!
Stay tuned for another blog post about using re-usables to save the planet!
Peace Love and Strawesome
Jess <3