Biodegradable straws

As they are made from biodegradable material, straws become a harmless product.

Biodegradable straws, produced from raw materials such as paper, have the ability to vanish from the environment without leaving any trace.

Furthermore, during the degradation process they do not emit gases or toxic or polluting substances.

That is, they are an environmentally friendly material that poses no danger to you, any other species, or the planet.

If you are considering switching to ecological straws, this is a brilliant option that won’t affect the taste of your beverages.

Compostable straws must be disposed of and treated correctly so that they degrade without leaving any trace.

This is the main disadvantage compared to biodegradable straws, as without human intervention, the decomposition of compostable straws does not occur.

However, they represent an ideal alternative to the use of plastics.

This type of straw is made from plastics derived from materials such as corn starch.

During use, you won’t notice any difference compared to plastic straws.

When it comes to reducing our ecological footprint, reusable products take the prize.

Reusable straws are no exception.

Made from metallic or organic materials, they are straws designed to be used again and again without losing their properties.

Without interfering with the taste of your drinks, you can use, wash and store them until the next opportunity.

At Greenuso, you will find reusable straws that are sold individually or those that come with a special brush to facilitate their cleaning.

Give any event an unexpected twist with customised ecological straws, a premium service offered by Greenuso.

Weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, corporate events, graduations – any event where the use of straws is required can benefit from this unforgettable method of homage.

In record time and at unbeatable prices, you’ll go from having the same straws as everyone else to having unique customised straws, completely in tune with the event or celebration you are hosting.

This service is also ideal for establishments in the catering, hospitality and catering services sectors.

Stand out from your competition by using this exclusive service offered by Greenuso through its online platform.

Why Use Ecological Straws?

How do you drink liquids at home? Surely, you do it directly from the bottle, in a glass or in a reusable container.

This makes it clear that plastic straws are a product that should not exist. They are unnecessary in 99.9% of cases.

Except in cases of medical complications or disability, the use of plastic straws is a habit that causes more harm than benefit.

In mid-2018, Greenpeace stated that over 13 million plastic straws are consumed each day in Spain.

Considering that in the United States 500 million units are consumed every 24 hours, one might think that our straw consumption is not problematic.

However, this is not the case; we are generating a pollutant every day with incalculable impact. We are talking about around 5 billion plastic straws per year.

The most alarming figures indicate that at least 60% of sea turtles have ingested some form of plastic.

Don’t you think they cause harm? Well, watch this video published by El País which features clips of material that recently went viral on social media.

It shows the final process of extracting a plastic straw that had become lodged in the nasal cavity of a sea turtle.

These are powerful images which we advise you not to watch if you are sensitive, but we believe their dissemination is necessary as they illustrate just a small part of the damage we are causing.

2020: The Year of Plastic Expiry

The European Union has taken a stand against the overwhelming and unstoppable invasion of plastic in our lives and its eventual fate in the world’s oceans.

In this regard, I urge member states to make the necessary adjustments to their legislation to promote a reduction in the manufacturing and use of plastic.

Among the products under scrutiny by the EU are straws, cotton buds for ear cleaning and plastic cutlery.

The adjustment period concludes in 2021. However, Spain is already taking steps to catch up with this important measure.

Therefore, from 2020, by agreement of the Environment Committee of Parliament, the necessary legislation must come into force to curtail the marketing and distribution of single-use plastic products.

Spain has already set its sights on single-use plastic products such as cups, plates, cutlery and, as expected, straws.

Furthermore, the agreement states that 50% of such utensils manufactured should be made from biodegradable materials.

This percentage will rise to 60% from 2025 onwards.

Other Significant Measures Against Plastic

The battle does not stop at prohibition; it goes a little further and paints a promising picture for the coming years.

In addition to plastic straws, the European Parliament is pushing for 25% of plastic bottles to be made from recycled materials by 2025.

The use of recycled plastics for manufacturing new bottles must increase to 30% by 2030.

Moreover, it is required that at least 90% of the bottles currently used are sent for recycling. For this goal, which is quite challenging, the deadline is set for 2029.

In this case, besides instructing waste collectors, an intensive consumer education campaign is necessary.

It is important for all of us to know that correct sorting of our waste is vital, as is placing it in the appropriate recycling bin.

Plastic Straws in the Top 5

When cleaning beaches, the waste is sorted and quantified.

Plastic straws rank fifth among the most collected materials on beaches.

The first spot goes to cigarette butts, followed by food wrappers, plastic bottles and bottle caps.

The fifth position carries significant weight, especially when we know that this material could take up to 500 years to degrade, during which it emits gases and toxic substances into the environment.

Education and Shaping New Generations

Often, it is a bit more difficult for adults to break established consumption habits. We have been doing things the same way for many years, and changing that can be more challenging than we think.

However, during our process of adopting a new consumption habit regarding biodegradable straws, it is ideal to involve children and young people.

They have an innate, generational sensitivity to environmental issues that we must harness to drive change.

Only then can we ensure that in the future – once the proposed measures are successfully implemented – we never again reach such levels of plastic pollution.