150 years ago, people used real straws, made of ryegrass. Straws were invented because customers of restaurants and soda fountains were concerned about touching their lips to a glass that another customer used. The ryegrass straws were hand-cut and cured by farmers that already grew rye for animal feed.
The paper straw came to solve the problem that ryegrass tended to become mushy. Marvin C. Stone was unsatisfied with using rye straws and invented the paper straw in late 1880s which was made with paraffin-coated manila paper. Rye straws were kicked out by these new paper straws.
In the 1960s, the plastic straw made it’s appearance and the rest is history. Plastic was a hot commodity at that time. It was part of the American dream.
500 millions straws are used every day in the US. What are the alternatives to plastic straws? Metal straws may be too expensive. Paper Straw will become mushy. Glass Straws will break if they fall.
A restaurant in Bristol has started serving straws made out of pasta with its drinks. Brace and Browns on Whiteladies Road says it uses them to cut down on plastic. It says people allergic to gluten should not use them but that the general reaction has been positive.
LOLIWARE is launching Lolistraw as the world’s first edible, hypercompostable, marinedegradable straw aimed at replacing plastic straws. To finance this project they used crowdfunding.
REFS
Published on bbc.com
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