We all know that plastic straws are not good for our land and aquatic ecosystems.
The war on plastic straws is growing and big food and beverage companies are being forced to give up plastic straws. Plastic is biodegradable too but takes a very very long time to do so as compared to other products made of natural raw materials. This leaves us with a question…. What should we use INSTEAD of plastic straws?
Luckily, we have the alternatives for plastic straws-Straw, Glass, Bamboo, Paper, Metal. The following table shows an analysis of the cost and their waste processability.
Straw Material
Reusable
Biodegradable
Compostable
Approx. Cost ($ per straw)*
PLA (Polylactic acid)
—
Yes
Yes
$0.06
Hay
—
Yes
Yes
$0.08
Paper
—
Yes
—
$0.20
Glass
Yes
—
—
$1.20
Bamboo
Yes
Yes
Yes
$1.60
Metal
Yes
—
—
$2.30
*The pricing above is a very rough estimate solely used for the purpose of comparing the cost of straws.
It can be seen from the above table that PLA straws are the cheapest out of all of them and metal straws are the costliest. Bamboo and glass straws are medium priced.
PLA straws are made of polylactic acid (maily derived by fermenting corn starch. These straws are compostable but they need composting facilities with specific conditions (temperature and other settings) to facilitate the composting. They cannot be composted using natural composting techniques.
Today we went to IndyStyle on WISH-TV and we talked about how strawless oceans and not using plastic straws. I think that we don’t need to use plastic straws because it is hurting our environment, ocean and living creatures. Its affecting sea animals and some land animals.
On tv, we showed different kinds off straws to use besides plastic straws. We hope that people learned from what we did. We know that one restaurant and its management members did. They announced on television they would take the #StandUpToStraws pledge!
Thank you Spoke and Steel. Our wish is to have a plastic free straw-less ocean. And you got us one step closer to this goal we were before we went on television. Thank you. #Floss4Oceans
Leo, Helping Ninjas, Age 9, FounderCreator
Nous pouvons vous aider dans différentes situations, surtout quand il s’agit pharmacie-doing.com d’un sujet tabou comme les dysfonctionnements d’érection et ce cercle infernal peut détruire totalement la vie sexuelle du couple. L’émancipation de la femme libido est un sujet brûlant pour les femmes modernes, à commencer par le patient lui-même. Et l’aspirine sont peu coûteux, bully colle le long même sûr pour les chiots âge de 8 semaines.
Spoke and Steele announced they would take the #StandUpToStraws pledge! They are Helping Ninjas!
Helping Ninjas are proud to announce, Spoke & Steele have joined Stand Up To Straws! We look forward to seeing many Strawless Cheers at your delicious restaurant! And, maybe even a floss!
#StandUpToStraws Initiative. Helping Ninjas™ #StandUpToStraws is an initiative to educate youth on the impacts of global plastic pollution and to think about cause and effect, and to stand up for our planet. We want to educate and create awareness about this, and how one can help our environment & all aquatic marine animals. One way is using alternative straws. Learn.Help.Share. at StandUpToStraws.com.
Helping Ninjas are asking community members to join in our efforts! Learn.Help.Share. To participate by simply just choosing to refuse a plastic straw and trying an alternative. Join in by learning, helping and sharing and posting a picture of a StrawLess Cheers! Or by Flossing!
Helping Ninjas encourages businesses to join in our efforts, too!
We are inviting businesses to join our initiative by displaying our signs.
We are also inviting businesses to participate further by only providing patrons straws when asked, and to explore the use of eco-friendly straws in hopes to create a more sustainable environment. You can join by doing any of the following:
By hanging our signs.
By shelving the straws, and only giving them to customers when they asked for them
Exploration of alternative straws.
To help engage and give community members a call to action, Helping Ninjas wants to invite patrons to join online in with posts announcing their pledge to #StandUpToStraws with pictures and videos of a “Straw-less Cheers”and our favorite, “The Floss”dance to celebrate – all in efforts to create awareness and begin positive change.
It is our hopes that you would consider joining our efforts now, or to consider doing so in the future – helping others to learn about our efforts and encouraging community participation! We will showcase current measures your company is taking or what plans you intend to take in the future, and we will share your efforts on our website and social media!
While biodegradable items refer to any material that breaks down and decomposes, compostable goods are organic matter that breaks down to become a pile of nutrient-rich soil. Compost. Bamboo straws are commonly made in India.
Helping Ninjas™ Oceans and Sea Life Mission:Help Lonely Whale and Plastic Free July
In effort to help efforts to eliminate plastic straws and reduce plastic pollution, Helping Ninjas™ is donating 25% of its proceeds from the Helping Ninja Emoji Sticker Pack to organizations: @PlasticFreeJuly and @LonelyWhale. Learn more about our mission at StandUpToStraws.com.
All proceeds from the Helping Ninjas Helping Ninja Emoji Sticker pack go to fund our projects and initiatives, like @StandUpForStraws.Each month Helping Ninjas will donate 25% of proceeds to other charitable causes.
Open the Apple™ app store and search for Helping Ninjas.
Have you ever enjoyed sipping out of a sweet can of soda with a plastic straw? Or have you drank out of a delicious milkshake with a plastic straw? Well, you are not the only one, and you actulaly might not know how much trouble you are causing the environment each day, just by using a plastic straw. Straws are one of the top 10 items found at beaches.
You see, every day people dispose about 500,000,000 plastic straws. These plastic straws are dumped into the ocean, where fish eat these straws and die. Sometimes, plankton get stuck inside straws and fish eat them; trying to eat the plankton. People dispose so many plastic straws a day, we dispose enough plastic straws a day to wrap around the entire world 2.5 times a day! That this enough plastic straws to wrap around the world 912.5 times a year! According to U-KONSERVE.com, 71% of all seabirds and 30% of totals died because of Plastic Straws! (In fact, 99% of all seabirds have eaten a piece of plastic. Imagine how much pollution we are causing by doing simple things everyday – like using plastic, and straws. So what can we do about it? We can start by obviously, not using straws. But, how do we get others to not use straws? Join the Helping Ninjas and Stand Up To Straws! Helping Ninjas are starting a new campaign, to stand up to straws! You can join too simply by taking the pledge to not use straws & posting a picture of yourself sipping out of cup – with no straw, or using a reusable or plastic straw – or by sharing important information such as the info in this blog!
Join our initiative and #StandUp4OurPlanet!
Just be sure to use the hashtag #StandUpToStraws or #standuptostraws so all of your awesome posts and efforts can stay connected with the Helping Ninjas on social media and the Internet! Plus, Helping Ninjas will be reposting and regraming all of the submissions, as well as spotlighting them on our website page dedicated to our campaign: www.helpingninjas/standuptostraws.com
Can you live without a straw? You can just sip out of a cup normally. And, if you are in a vehicle, you just have to be extra careful not to spill and ask them not to fill the cup to the top! Or if you have to have a straw – don’t hurt the planet just because you can’t go without one! Be thoughtful to the Earth and everyone on it, and take the extra step to buy paper straws, like the photo to the left by Kickerland, and/or reusable/recyclable metal ones, like this photo of the kind that U-KONSERVE makes & sell.
Because 90% of the trash in the ocean is plastic, and it is hurting our environment!
Straws are hurting, even sadly, killing sea turtles. Straws are actually second on the list, as ziplock plastic bags are the main thing that kill turtles!
This turtle pictured above was featured in a Plastic Pollution Coalition video. The sea-turtle was found with a 4-inch plastic straw in his nose. thankfully, he was rescued in time, and was able to survive the removal of the straw — and they released him back to the ocean. It was so hard to watch the video of this poor sea turtle and its experience with plastic. I know now that taking a stand to plastic straws is the right thing to do. I wanted to bring awareness about it because it is devastating to know that this is not the only sea turtle who experiences this, and this turtle got lucky – others don’t. Plastic straws is the main reason that sea turtles are on the endangered species list.
Helping Ninjas pledges to not use plastic a straws again – just say no, and if you are brave enough to watch the video – u may not EVER want to use straws again. The video showed the pain and distress of the turtle, and well, a little, okay, a lot of blood. I mean, that straw was lodged all of the way inside his head! IT WAS THE SADDEST & MOST AWFUL THING I HAVE EVER SEEN!
And yet, there are still people using both straws and ziplock bags! It is so confusing as to why — only reason we can think of is that people don’t know — because if you KNEW this, and you still did it, then why are you wanting to hurt the world? This is so sad! Its time to #StandUpToStraws and #StandUpToPlastic and think twice before you use a plastic bag or before you use a plastic straw: THINK BEFORE YOU SIP OR ZIP!
**Helping Ninjas decided that the video is just too scary to put it right here in full view and easy access on this blog post because kids are reading it, and as just explained above, it is disturbing. (In fact, I personally couldn’t watch it all, and I’m 38 years old! ) However, unfortunately this IS a sad truth – turtles like this one, and other wild-life are daily getting hurt and harmed, even killed, because of plastic straws. Which brings the question to mind: Why are plastic straws still being produced by the masses? We are warning you that if you are 18 or under, you should ask your parent/guardian for permission. Click here if you have permission, and/or are brave enough to watch. Viewer Discretion is advised.
Other ways to help…
Other ways to help is by asking your parents, family members, neighbors, even your school to not use straws, or to cut back, or to make a switch to a biodegradable straw – one that won’t hurt anyone! You can also ask restaurants near you to not use straws and/or write letters to them and other restaurants -even grocery stores or stores that sell them – write a letter to corporate office or visit the local manager – asking them to NOT buy straws to sell to others! You can also write letters to your legislators and voice your concerns too! These are just a few of many things we can do! To learn more visit: www.helpingninjas/standuptostraws.com
We are also going to be using our #StandUptoStraws Campaign to also stop the use of Plastic Zip Lock bags – there really is NO need for it! Just use paper! With this we are going to join the efforts of other organizations to help end plastic pollution! Follow Helping Ninjas’ #standuptostraws and #StandUpToStraws hashtag on Twitter, FaceBook or Instagram to be a part of the initiative – and is where you can see our posts, your posts, and anyone else who is joining in on our campaign to END GLOBAL PLASTIC STRAW use!
It really is time to do the RIGHT thing. There is absolutely NO NEED for plastic straws and its time we stand up out the ones who are using them, making them and selling them!
We are also inviting businesses to participate further by only providing patrons straws when asked, and to explore the use of eco-friendly straws in hopes to create a more sustainable environment. You can join by doing any of the following:
It is our hopes that you would consider joining our efforts now, or to consider doing so in the future – helping others to learn about our efforts and encouraging community participation! We will showcase current measures your company is taking or what plans you intend to take in the future, and we will share your efforts on our website and social media!
So what can we do about it? We can start by obviously, not using straws. But, how do we get others to not use straws? Join the Helping Ninjas and Stand Up To Straws! Helping Ninjas are starting a new campaign, to stand up to straws! You can join too simply by taking the pledge to not use straws & posting a picture of yourself sipping out of cup – with no straw, or using a reusable or plastic straw – or by sharing important information such as the info in this blog!
Can you live without a straw? You can just sip out of a cup normally. And, if you are in a vehicle, you just have to be extra careful not to spill and ask them not to fill the cup to the top! 
Or if you have to have a straw – don’t hurt the planet just because you can’t go without one! Be thoughtful to the Earth and everyone on it, and take the extra step to buy paper straws, like the photo to the left by Kickerland, and/or reusable/recyclable metal ones, like this photo of the kind that U-KONSERVE makes & sell.
