Well here goes; who bloody cares. Yesterday across all forms of social media people were rejoicing because yep, plastic straws have been banned in the UK. Let me ask you a question, when was the last time you saw a plastic straw in a bar or restaurant in the UK?
“I can’t remember”
This is why I don’t care. I care deeply about the issue of plastic pollution and the impending climate doom, but the fact of the matter is that on the whole, plastic straws are already old news.
Paper straws on the other hand, that’s where the real issue is.
Paper straws were the quick solution jumped on by bars and restaurants when plastic straws first came under attack. Yes, they might not be plastic, but are they really the best alternative? For starters, they don’t stay solid long enough to finish a drink with. Have the words “I really enjoyed using that paper straw, I’m so glad it lasted until the end of my drink” ever been spoken?
And that’s not even the worst part. Paper straws are sold as the eco-friendly alternative to plastic, but stop and think about where paper straws come from. Trees. It takes 20 years for a tree to grow to size where it becomes effective at removing carbon dioxide from our atmosphere. 20 years is a long time but removing carbon dioxide from our atmosphere is fundamental for our survival, not to mention the main focus of our eco-efforts, so it’s time well spent, especially when that tree will be useful for another 50 years. 20 years is time not well spent if that tree is then cut down to make a straw that goes soggy before it has even finished its use. 50 years removing carbon dioxide from our atmosphere or 2 minutes in a drink before going soggy - hardly an even trade-off is it.
4x as much energy needed to produce a paper straw than plastic straw - no energy needed for turtle straw.
So what’s the lasting message here, my call to action, or finishing touch. What am I trying to sell you. Don’t worry about buying any of our stuff. Don’t worry about bars or restaurants doing it either, if people want to work with me they will.
I want you to think every time you see something that is packed in all green and says planet friendly places shouting about some new environmental unicorn they have bought, is this green or is this a clever way to placate the masses and seem more environmentally friendly.
The one thing I really care about and believe in is the fact that at Turtle Straws we have a genuinely great product that is about quality not trickery.
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