While the predictions of the famed Nostradamus are often ominous and foreboding, I would like to counter dire predictions and modern day realizations of the diminishing straw plight with a bright and promising solution: our D.U.O. XeroStraw!
Maya Angelou said, "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." While this can apply to a vast array of subjects, the topic of this blog is the straw evolution. Or perhaps we could say, "Straw Revolution," or even "Straw Revelation."
We are told that millions of straws are used and discarded each day in the US alone. The research even defines as many as 500 million per day. Regardless, the waste is staggering and environmentally troublesome. Most straws are made of unrecyclable plastic and unfortunately end up in landfills and waterways or streets or yards, where they can be mistaken for food by marine and wildlife. Even those with the best recycling intentions soon discover their efforts are lost on most types of straws.
Enter the plastic straw alternatives. Paper is the path of least resistance when it comes to replacing plastic straws. Arriving as a new drinking fad in the early 1900s, its intrigue has survived in decorative placement and with the recent push to reduce plastics, has enjoyed a resurgence. The downside is, nobody seems to enjoy the feel of the paper straw compared to the plastic to which we have become accustomed. Yet still, is the fact that paper (and the glue that holds the spiraled strip together) softens in liquid and is a poor method of sucking up thicker drinks. So, not good.
Plant based products often are touted as compostable, may either dissolve quickly, tainting the beverage, or, if truly relegated to the compost pile, may take up to ten years to break down, and then, maybe only up to 80% in optimal conditions.
Reusable straws, such as silicone or metal are seldom remembered or available for use each and every time they are needed, and if used and reused, may not be cleaned effectively and over time can become a breeding ground for bacteria and contaminants. Metal straws have been known to cause injuries to the mouth or face while being used.
The time has come to "think outside the straw." We love straws, but not the waste or potential for harm, either with marine, wildlife or human misjudgment. The goal of the XeroStraw is to replace the straw commonly used in the food service industry, particularly in fast food, by combining a straw and a lid. The straw mouthpiece is a part of the lid itself, which keeps the drink covered and ideal for everyone with beverages "to go," including children, or those who may be less steady. The concept allows liquid and gravity to work together to avoid ice jams or irritating repositioning to get that last drop. It provides instant gratification when drinking shakes or smoothies by sucking from the top of the beverage rather than having to draw up from the bottom of a frozen or thick beverage and having to wait for it to warm a bit to allow it to flow.
Best of all, the D.U.O. Xerostraw is made in the USA from recycled #1 plastics (think: water bottles) and is 100% RECYCLABLE! Of durable PET content, it can also be REUSED! Simply hand wash and reuse! The standard sizes fit most commonly used fast food brands of disposable cups and many types of reusable glassware! When (or IF) you are finished with the XeroStraw, simply place in the #1 recycling container - so we can make more XeroStraws!
The solution is simple. The time is right. You now know better, so you can now do better.
We predict 2022 to be the year of the D.U.O. XeroStraw!
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