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Ban on plastic straws – so what?
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Everyone is talking about drinking straws at the moment – and this year especially. On the one hand, they are simply very practical, and allow you to enjoy your drink when you are on the go, and without using a glass. In particular for drinks such as cocktails, they also complete the look of the drink.
Yet at the same time, they are unfortunately made of plastic in most cases and are therefore single-use products that are simply thrown away. It was for this reason that the EU Commission started focusing increasingly on the issue of single-use products almost exactly a year ago. At the end of last year, a decision was made to introduce a ban meaning that, from 2021 onwards, the use of straws, cutlery and other single-use products made of plastic will be prohibited.
It may well be that straws make up only a fraction of our immense consumption of single-use and plastic products, even though around 40 billion straws are used every year in Germany alone. Nevertheless, the ban and the fact that these products will no longer be in use sends out the right signal and an important impulse in the direction of more sustainability, and we don't need to wait until 2021 to put this into practice in our everyday lives.
But who wants to give up using these items? In most cases, it's just a matter of replacing plastic products with more sensible alternatives. In the case of straws, this isn't difficult at all. A couple of months ago we even tried using a piece of macaroni in one of our videos... but of course that can't be the definitive solution. A number of manufacturers are offering sustainable alternatives made from a wide range of different materials, such as stainless steel, silicone, bamboo or glass.
The metal straws which we have introduced really will last a lifetime. They are unbreakable, dishwasher-safe, BPA free and can be recycled without difficulty, if this should become necessary. They are ideally suited for use in catering, as they can be cleaned easily and can even be sterilised with the use of heat. They are not 100% neutral in terms of taste, but come out best in this respect in comparison to the alternatives.
In this case, the manufacturer offers a range of set sizes, in each case consisting of one to four straws, a little cleaning brush and a small cotton bag to transport them in. The straw itself comes in two versions – either straight or with a slight bend. The straws can be cleaned easily using the little brush, and can be kept in a handbag in the practical cotton bag.
These straws make the perfect promotional item, and we can also add your logo or your website address through the use of laser engraving or screen printing techniques. As this is still a very new product, you can be sure that there are not many households that already possess this alternative to the plastic straw, something that will change when the ban comes into force. This means that the branded drinking straw will certainly be a most welcome gift.