There are a lot of things you can do to help our oceans be clean and safe for marine life!
Take the pledge
Sometimes it helps us change our behaviors when we make a conscious pledge to do so. Here are some different groups that offer pledges and participation in strawless and plastic-free campaigns:
Say “No straw, please” at restaurants and take-out services
A lot of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and other vendors give out straws automatically. Form a habit of saying, “No straw, please” when you order a beverage that ordinarily requires one. For extra credit, ask Starbucks and other coffee shops not to put the plastic stoppers in your cup of coffee or espresso
Use alternatives
Sometimes you need a straw. How are you going to sip that Frappuccino without one?
But what you – and the ocean – doesn’t need is single-use, non-biodegradable plastic straws. Did you know that it takes up to 200 years for a plastic straw to decompose?
And remember that “biodegradable” and “compostable” straws aren’t always an answer. Many of these straws have to go into a composting facility to decompose properly so, if they end up in the landfill, they’ll just add to the waste already there as well as possibly entering our oceans. (You can see an example of an eco-friendly company advertising compostable straws here.)
Here are some options for you to use instead:
Paper straws
Search for paper straws that you can take with you, use, and toss.
Looking for paper straws in bulk? Aardvark has paper straws that are more durable than other bulk paper straws. AND you get 50% off your order by using Strawless Ocean’s discount code.
Steel straws
You can find a lot of options for stainless steel straws by searching online. Klean Kanteen promotes the #BringYourOwn campaign by offering stainless steel straws with flexible silicone tips.
Want to go fancy at one of your parties? Have your name or anything else you want imprinted on a set of steel straws through Steelys Drinkware. And Strawless Ocean once again has a discount with Steelys Drinkware.
Glass straws
Try Strawesome, Glass Dharma, and Simply Straws.
Silicone straws
Try Softy Straws or, for a silicone/steel combo, try Klean Kanteen.
Bamboo straws
Bamboo straws are reusable and washable. Try Brush With Bamboo, StrawFree.org, or see what you can find on Amazon!
How about straws made from . . . straw?
Harvest Straw goes retro and brings back the straw that gave us the word “straw.”
Finally, check out Strawless Ocean’s discount page for one-stop shopping.
Ask restaurants to help
You can encourage local restaurants to reduce their straw and plastic waste by using the free, downloadable wallet card from Takeout Without.