In a move to reduce plastic waste, a Vietnamese company has come up with an innovative plastic drinking straw alternative: sedge grass.
Sedge grass grows along the Mekong Delta and has a hollow stem. This gives the grass a natural straw shape.
The company introducing this plastic straw substitute, Ống Hút Cỏ, sells fresh grass straws as well as dried grass straws. Both items are biodegradable and go through a detailed process to become food-safe.
The grass is picked, cleaned and cut into the length of an ordinary straw. After this, an iron rod is used on the inside of the straw. The straw is then washed for a final time.
Dried straws are left in the sun for two to three days after the final wash and are then baked in an oven.
According to Green Matters, the straws have no smell or taste and are packaged in banana leaves.
Fresh straws can last for two weeks in the fridge in a container. The dried straws can last about 6 months at room temperature. Both straw options are edible, compostable and preservative and chemical-free.
The straws are currently only for sale in Vietnam.
Image: Ống Hút Cỏ
