Q&A Interview with founder Jake McKeon
If there is one thing that the Coconut Bowl’s family understands, it is how to use natural resources that literally grow on trees to replace man-made eco-unfriendly products often containing our old rival, plastic. With the tendency to seek convenience in the modern world, the only way to truly address this problem is by making eco-friendly products available, affordable and appealing. As opposed to simply advocating to say no to plastic straws, Coconut Bowls are working towards finding solutions to use instead.
The founder of Coconut Bowls, Jake McKeon, asserts that Bamboo Straws are a solution to a very underrated problem, that is the single-use of an estimated 500 million plastic straws that too often end up in our oceans, every single day. He believes that change starts with the provider from a hierarchical approach; be it the local laws, the café or restaurant owner, the fast food chain, the parent who supplies it or the person who turns a blind eye. He has a saying, “the first one is on them, but the second one on you”.
Being 100% natural, Bamboo Straws are practical, durable and perfect for drinking your daily smoothie. This leaves us with no excuse to consume plastic in the form of a straw. Let’s find out more about the humble Bamboo Straw from Jake himself.
Why Bamboo Straws?
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, we as a society still drink from manufactured plastic straws.
We’re making it our personal mission to stop this, and that’s why you’ll find Bamboo Straws has its own dedicated website. At www.bamboostraws.com we educate, advocate and inspire all things bamboo straws with the ultimate aim to make a difference to reduce the single-use plastic straw problem.
What are the benefits of using bamboo?
Firstly, the shape of a bamboo stalk inevitably makes the perfect straw. From a health perspective, it makes sense to use bamboo straws as they are completely natural, organic and anti-bacterial. Plastic straws, on the other hand, are petroleum based and 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 that 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, too often ending up in our precious oceans or devastatingly found in the stomach lining of our marine life.
How do you make the 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 water and vinegar, before being cleaned a final time and the coconut oil polish applied.
How do we care for our 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 grit.
- 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.
Is there anything else that we should know about Bamboo Straws?
So now, there is no excuse. You know what the problem is, it is clear as to why Bamboo is preferable compared to the underperforming and overused plastic, you know where to get your new straws and how to care for them so that they last.
It is time for you to join the #sucksustainably pledge at bamboostraws.com to work with us to do your part while we do our best to address this problem that our one and only Earth faces. You can buy 4 Bamboo Straws on a budget or 100 to gift to others to help us to spread the eco-message.
For further information visit: www.bamboostraws.com