Chisato ShizumeBubble tea was a huge trend in Japan from around last year; there are long queues for buying one, and new shops were opening one after another. And of course, I was a customer.
The first shop gave me the bubble tea in a plastic cup with a plastic straw. The second shop gave me a paper straw with a plastic cup. The difference in taste was more than I expected. Except I’m not talking about the bubble tea itself, but how the straws affected the drinks. The paper straw added an unpleasant taste to the tea and spoiled the aroma. And not only did it taste unpleasant, but the straw eventually got clogged with tapioca pearls. The paper straw got too soggy.
It was disappointing to know that eco-friendly paper straws were noticeably inferior (at least in my experience) in quality compared to plastic products, because driving out plastic products from our lifestyle is an urgent issue today. It is estimated that 500 million drinking straws are discarded per day in the US. And in the UK, McDonald’s gives 3.5 million straws to customers every day. Single-use plastic is not sustainable, so we need an alternative. But can we do it without deteriorating the drinks?
ZTRAW is a reusable straw, made with eco-friendly recyclable materials, meaning it’s green and safe for humans. Because it’s foldable, the product is flat and compact, convenient to carry around. Also, its shape makes it easy to clean, keeping the straw safe and pleasant to use over and over again.
ZTRAW can be used for both hot and cold beverages, with repeated use of up to 2,000 times. This means that even if you use one straw per day, you can avoid using a single-use straw for more than five years. Imagine how much plastic waste this reusable straw can reduce. The straw is heat-resistant and dishwasher-safe, making it suitable for hard-working parents who don’t have time to wash reusable straws for the whole family at the end of the day. It’s for anyone, really, because it won’t be sustainable if something is time-consuming.
In July, charging for plastic shopping bags began in Japan. It’s been three months since the start and most customers are adapting to it. Most people choose to reuse shopping bags if they are charged for new ones. For years, there has been a movement in Japan to carry around personal chopsticks (called ‘My Hashi’). It was a response to the worry of how discarding tons of single-use chopsticks impacts the environment negatively. The movement may not be as prevalent as shopping bags. But since there is no coercion, but ‘My Hashi’ is gradually increasing recognition. Likewise, smart and sustainable straws may replace single-use plastic straws in our society in the near future. A small change in our lifestyle could make a big difference if the change stays for good.
Ztraw is holding their crowdfunding campaign at the moment. For a limited time only, two ZTRAW are 2,040 JPY and comes with a pouch each.
[Reference] Ztraw crowdfunding campaign
