At Coconut Bowls we don’t just ask you to say ‘no’ to plastic straws — we are giving you something to use instead, Bamboo Straws. Bamboo straws are 100% natural, they’re practical, durable and perfect for drinking your daily smoothie!
Just like eating out of Coconut Bowls, we believe that drinking from Bamboo Straws is how nature intended. It makes no sense to us, that in a world where nature provides the perfect solution for a straw, that we as a society still drink from manufactured plastic straws. So we’re making it our mission to stop this, and that’s why you’ll find Bamboo Straws has its own dedicated website - away from Coconut Bowls. Bamboostraws.com will be where we educate, advocate and inspire all things bamboo straws and reducing the single-use plastic straw problem.
The benefits of using bamboo
From a health point of view, it is significantly better to use bamboo straws because as they are completely natural and organic. Plastic straws, on the other hand, can cause you to consume chemical toxins, which can have a negative impact on your health. In particular the chemical polypropylene, which can leach into liquids and our affect estrogen levels. From an environmental stance, bamboo is an incredible natural resource. It grows phenomenally well organically, and each bamboo stalk can grow more than 30cm in a single day. Bamboo Straws will begin to compost the moment you decide it’s ready to go back to nature. A plastic straw, on the other hand, can take thousands of years to break down into small pieces and will never completely disappear!
How we make our bamboo straws
Step 1: Our bamboo stalks are harvested when they reach a height of approximately 3 meters.
Step 2: The bamboo stalks are then dried in the sun for up to 30 days, until the stalk has hardened into a timber like material.
Step 3: The bamboo stalks are then trimmed to size, before being hand sanded and cleaned.
Step 4: The final step is to soak the bamboo straws in vinegar, before being cleaned a final time and the coconut oil polish is applied.
Taking care of bamboo straws
Bamboo straws should last for hundreds of uses with the proper care:
- Rinse immediately after use to avoid getting anything stuck in the straws
- Use the cleaning brush or something similar to remove any gritt.
- Hand wash with lukewarm soapy water.
- Bamboo Straws can be used in a commercial dishwasher.
- Don't expose your straw to extreme heat for a prolonged period.
We recommend polishing the outside of the straw with Coconut Oil every 10 or so uses. Another effective caring option is to soak in vinegar from time to time to keep your straw in optimum health condition.
Our official launch for our bamboostraws.com will take place over at bamboostraws.com on August 1. As part of our campaign for Plastic Free July, anyone who takes our #sucksustainably pledge and commits to being plastic straw free for July will receive 50% off their first order of bamboo straws! Take the pledge here.