You probably don’t give your plastic straw even a moments notice, do you? I mean, why should you, right? You get them with every drink you order at any restaurant. They come attached to kids juice boxes. And for every celebration, at least around here, you are sure to find some sort of “silly” straw in the goodie bag.
I started thinking about straws a lot. My mom uses them almost exclusively to drink with. My boys love to have a straw in their drinks. They even help get our younger two to drink healthy smoothies if a straw is included. But I found out some staggering information about plastic straws. According to glass dharma, plastic straws are always in the top 10 of number of items collected during beach cleanups. And according to McDonald’s website they serve 52 million meals a day – each one probably comes with a soda cup and straw! That is just ONE fast food restaurant for just ONE day. What about all those other fast food joints and regular sit down restaurants? Plastic bags, plastic water bottles and plastic straws make up the bulk of single use plastics!
So what can you do about it? Well for one you can ask your server to not give you a straw. If you really want a straw you can opt for a glass dharma glass straw instead. glass dharma has several different types of straws in different sizes. They have 4 different diameters, 14 mm, 12 mm, 9.5 mm and 7 mm. They also come in different designs including “shorty” 6.25 inch length, beautiful bends (bent straws), decorative dots, and 8, 9 and 10 inch lengths. The sizes allows for everything from a small sipper size to those large enough for bubble tea.
I have had the pleasure of trying the 9.5 mm ice tea straws. I have the beautiful bends, the decorative dots, the 9″ and the shorty. The beautiful bends is perfect for sipping iced tea or other drinks. I actually gave my mom the 9″ straw for her to keep at home. She uses a plastic straw to drink almost everything. The amber decorative dots is lovely and would make a beautiful gift set. I think the shorty is perfect for the kids, especially since my boys like to drink smoothies from our small juice glasses.
The glass dharma glass straws are very safe. Although they can break, glass dharma does offer a guarantee
If, for any reason*, your GlassDharma Drinking Straw should break, click the link below and fill out the form to obtain your replacement.
glass dharma likens their straws to a Pyrex coffee pot or pie plate – very strong and usually safe, but always with the chance they could break if dropped.
Please check out glass dharma, there wonderful product, their mission and passion for limiting plastics in our world, and even their unique fundraising opportunities.
We had some glass straws and loved them. They were very durable. The only problem was that they were super hard to clean, especially since we generally used them for smoothies (they were extra wide for that). I hope you continue to enjoy these!
TerriAnn @ Cookies & Clogs recently posted..2013 Mazda3 4-Door Sedan Review – Family-Tested, Dog-Approved #Mazda3 @DriveSTI
TerriAnn, ours came with a pipe cleaner to help keep them clean. I would love the smoothie ones since we drink a ton of those.
I never got them bc I worried about breaking them – Love the replacement terms!
Emily @FamilyNLifeLV recently posted..Baby D Update | 4 Months Old
I had no idea they even made glass straws. Thanks for sharing this!
Leilani recently posted..25 Week Bumpdate
So cool!
I love these straws I have a number of them. They will break if you drop them on a tile floor though (ask me how I know, LOL!)
Tammy recently posted..Green fork-N-spoon Snack Box Review
I really hadn’t thought about the abundance of plastic straws. I use a ton of them myself. The glass straws are an interesting idea.
Dianna recently posted..DIY Kid’s Art Display (Cheap and Easy)
I really love the concept, but the glass just scares me.
Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell recently posted..Daytime Soap Fans, You’re In Luck – Your Favorites Are Back!
I love straws. This is soo cool.
Interesting! This is something I never thought about before.
A Time Out for Mommy- Elaina recently posted..She’s Making A List and Checkin it Twice #DRHappyHealthy #cbias #SocialFabric
How awesome! I need to check that out. Mom usually uses a straw, too. Those numbers are awful when you stop and think about all of the waste.
LyndaS recently posted..Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
I always use straws at restaurants because I can’t stand the thought of putting my lips on the rim of their glasses. I’m just weird, I guess. But, the amount of waste from straws is definitely daunting. Wow.
Rachel @ Following In My Shoes recently posted..Hello Dolly Bars
I use straws all the time in public, and my kids love them, too. I haven’t purchased them lately because of the waste they generate but the idea of a reusable, glass straw intrigues me.
Jennifer recently posted..Mother’s Day Giveaway – KitchenAid Mixer
I never would have thought of a glass straw…how hard ar e they to clean?
Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? recently posted..I DID IT! Mommy and Me Monday| 167th ed
I would love to try one of these! I’ve been drinking my morning smoothies with a plastic straw every morning now.
Paula @ Frosted Fingers recently posted..Triple Slow Cooker Entertaining Cookbook Review
I had no idea glass straws were out there. I’m not too sure about them because I tend to bite on my straws. that would hurt my teeth with these, lol
Jennifer recently posted..Protecting My Pets #VetGaurdPlus
I didn’t realize they made glass straws but this is such a smart idea!
Kelly @ Texas Type A Mom recently posted..Inspirational Mother’s Day Quotes and Sayings
It is crazy how many straws are used each day.
Lolo recently posted..My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic – Princess Twilight Sparkle Review
Super cool. My boys drink out of straws a lot and I was like, I couldn’t never use these (one loves to bite on his straws) then I read about how they’re made from strong glass. Totally may give these a whirl now.
Those straws are so pretty – I want some!
Angela recently posted..Myths About Women and Money
I would definitely use one. And good to know they come with a pipe cleaner. 🙂
Donna recently posted..The Best Ways to Prevent Nail Breakage
I had no idea they made glass straws. How amazing.
Rachel recently posted..Playaway and Playaway View Make Traveling More Enjoyable
wow that’s really interesting Who would of thought
Tricia Nightowlmama recently posted..My Visit to Walt Disney Family Museum #MonstersUEvent
I usually don’t use a straw, but I have a similar one for smoothies – love it! 🙂
HilLesha @To the Motherhood recently posted..Haircare That is Green&Glam!
I can’t drink anything unless I have a straw on hand, but I don’t think I could drink out of a glass straw I would be too afraid that it might break or chip in my mouth. But, it looks cool though!
Ty @ Mama of 3 Munchkins recently posted..Simple Beauty Tips for Busy Moms
Wow very interesting! We don’t really use straws because they’re so wasteful MUST get some of these 🙂
courtney recently posted..I’ll take Chicken with my Garlic, please!
What a great idea! We use reusable plastic ones at home but they aren’t dishwasher safe and I hate hand washing them because I feel like I never get them clean enough. I didn’t even know they made glass ones!
Shell Feis recently posted..Letters to My Son: Our Changing Family
I have these and love em!
I use straws for most cold beverages, and the feel of glass would probably be preferable… I was just never keen on the thought of cleaning them. I do try and re-use my straws a couple times before tossing them at least.
Robin Gagnon {Mom Foodie} recently posted..Fresh Grilled Shrimp & Corn Tacos Recipe
I’ve never heard of a glass straw. I like the concept but I would really be afraid that the glass would break and cut my kids.
Mellisa recently posted..The Historic El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood #IronMan3Event