No More Plastic Straws? What Can You Use Instead? Including…

---

“Straws” had just recently become a trending topic searched on Weibo, with search queries such as:

“Plastic straws will be phased out by 2021”

“Can we use eco-friendly paper straws?”

Back in January, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Ecology and the Environment jointly issued a guideline on further strengthening the governance of plastic waste, which stipulates that the use of non-degradable, disposable plastic straws will be banned in the catering industry nationwide by the end of 2020.

Plastic straws take up to 500 years to degrade.

Many restaurant brands have opted to replace plastic straws with eco-friendly ones, or stopped their use altogether. Among such chains, McDonald’s China announced it would begin to phase them out entirely, while Starbucks has already moved forward and stopped distributing them. Tea chain HEY TEA uses paper straws instead. 

Other businesses have jumped on the opportunity to upscale the traditional straw design - jewelry brand Tiffany introduced its ‘Crazy Straw’ series in 2017, which comes in with a hefty price tag of US$ 250.

Luckily for us, one need not dig deep into their savings to start protecting the environment with overpriced straw designs. On the other end of the spectrum are countless of eco-friendly options available on Taobao. While they may not be as “fun” and convenient as disposable straws, it’s time for everyone to play their part in no longer deteriorating our planetary ecosystem by choosing convenience over responsibility.

Considering a Taobao can quickly feel overwhelming with its abundance of choices, the GiCexpat team took it upon themselves to summarize some of their favorite types of eco-friendly straws available on the e-commerce platform.

Glass straws

Dirt can be spotted through glass. They’re also quite comfortable to drink from, but can be easily broken if not too careful when handling them. They may also feel inconvenient to carry around with you wherever you go, hence why some choose to leave it either at home or in the office.

If you want to make sure you always have one in hand in your most-visited places, go nuts and buy several. 

Our marine life will thank you for it.

Stainless steel straws

Stainless steel straws are very resilient thanks to its base material, and thus can be reused, disinfected and cleaned thoroughly without causing any visible damages to its surface.

While resilience gives them one point over glass straws, their opaque look makes it impossible for us to see whether the inside is dirty/has built up residue or not. That being said, as a general rule of thumb, build the habit of washing it after every use so that problem never comes up.

Bamboo straws

Bamboo is a very durable, resilient type of wood, and can be easily recycled. They’re usually handmade without any plasticizer, and are quite hygienic. 

The downside of using this type of straw is its tendency to accumulate mold in humidity, which can be a problem in southern China where the air gets very thick.

Silicone straws

Silicone straws are soft, flexible, and almost never break. They’re very easy to clean, fun-looking, and especially popular among children. However, silicone is said to be something of a “hybrid between a synthetic rubber and a synthetic plastic polymer," which means it's still a plastic, no matter how it's spun. 

They don’t sell on the cheaper end of the spectrum, and their color degrades over time after multiple uses. 

Have you already been using your own straws? Have you found it to be convenient or inconvenient to carry them with you?

If not, which of the above types would you prefer opting for? 

Let us know in the comment section below!

Editor: Crystal H

Editor's Pick