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Steena Joy Contributor
(10 November 2020)

When marine biologist Christine Figgener filmed a heartbreaking video of her team removing a plastic straw stuck inside a Olive Ridley sea turtle’s nose near Costa Rica in August 2015 (watch video below), she had no idea how the video would help galvanise a larger movement: saying NO to single-use plastic straws.
Today, companies like Starbucks and American Airlines, have taken the step to eliminate plastic straws from our day-to-day lives. But this has posed a bigger challenge – finding sustainable alternatives.
The paper straw has always been around but not without its demerits of getting soggy and not lasting till the last sip. Well, now some innovative companies have developed straws that you can not only sip, but also eat!
Vietnam-based Ống Hút Cỏ offers fresh, natural, biodegradable straws that are made out of grass that grows naturally and abundantly in Vietnam. Ống Hút Cỏ even says that chewing them after meals can actually help clean your teeth and gums.
Then there is UK’s Stroodles which offers straws made out of pasta.
Flavourless, biodegradable and zero-waste, these pasta straws are all edible and make a great snack. After use, you can even boil them to make pasta. Made from wheat and water, they last for more than an hour and if you decide not to eat them, you can add them to your compost heap – they will decompose and biodegrade in one single day, compared to paper straws, which can take up to a month to fully decompose.
Indians too can now be a part of the movement.
Two Indian companies have introduced edible straws that you can use – and eat – without worrying about contributing to plastic pollution.
Don’t throw your straw, just EAT it
Started in September 2018, Nom is the brainchild of Shashank Gupta.
Worried about the plastic straw problem and how it is destroying our Oceans and our Planet, Shashank says, “Plastic straws are everywhere. The world uses 3 billion straws every day, with the US alone accounting for more than 500 million straws per day!”
That’s why he conceptualised the idea of edible straws and Nom was born.

The Nom edible straw is 100% plant-based and is made from more than 15 ingredients that are completely safe and fit for human consumption. The straws are made from basic daily ingredients like wheat flour, rice flour, zero calorie natural stevia, vegetable sunflower oil, flavours, cocoa powder, etc. And it’s 100% biodegradable, causing no harm to the environment.
Shashank adds, “What’s more, it never changes the flavour or taste of the drink so you can freely choose whichever flavour you like and club it with your favourite beverage. Use like a straw, Eat like a snack.”
Nom straws are available in 6 flavours: Vanilla, Strawberry, Lemon, Mint, Coffee and Chocolate.
Nom straws are compatible with milkshakes, thick shakes, bubble tea, cold coffee, juice, cocktails, mocktails, basically all types of drinks.
They don’t melt and don’t break.
Pusat Inovasi Enzim ini sendiri mengambil enzim dari lingkungan alam dan dengan menggunakan biologi sintetik, mengadaptasinya untuk menciptakan enzim baru untuk industry yang mampu untuk mengurai plastic tersebut. Tentunya, di masa depan penggunaan plastic tetap menjadi tanggung jawab utama kita dimana penggunaan barang ramah lingkungan juga tetap harus dikedepankan tanpa terlena dengan tercipta salah satu inovasi di bidang lingkungan yang sangat berguna bagi dunia.
This News hash been reales by ca.style.yahoo.com Title “Sustainable Sip: Do your bit for the environment; invest in straws you can eat!”,
https://ca.style.yahoo.com/sustainable-sip-straws-you-can-eat-051742274.html.
Steena Joy Contributor
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