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Bars In Italy Are Starting To Use Pasta Straws To Reduce Plastic Waste



Anyone who has never had a genuine Italian pasta meal should try and remedy that asap! Pasta comes in all shapes and sizes and one in particular, bucatini pasta, with its tubular shape, is making eco-friendly waves as an alternative to plastic straws.

A picture posted on reddit by user u/GranFabio, showing pasta used as straws in drinks at some bars in Italy, in an initiative to reduce single use plastic waste. The post generated just under 77 thousand upvotes thus far.

Image credits: GranFabio

Taking it a step further, UK company, Stroodles already sell pasta straws that apparently last up to an hour in a cold drink, are tasteless and can be composted after use. Company founder Maxim Gelmann explains that “Stroodles is not just a straw company and there is a much bigger picture, as I feel I can leave a long-term impact by creating a ripple effect by triggering many small changes all across the world, especially among people that are less conscious of sustainability and their respective actions and behaviors.”

“Thus, Stroodles is rather a movement and an educational company and a gateway to more sustainable behaviors and thinking and the straw is just our first channel (of communication) in our mission to fight plastic waste,” Maxim continued. “We thereby want to attract and reach the less (environmentally) conscious people and show them how easy it is to make sustainable changes and have them enter their life.”

“The approach is to do this in a fun and non-preachy, non-finger-pointing manner. I rather aim for people to engage with a Stroodle and then start asking themselves the right questions, like ‘Why is there a pasta straw in my drink?’ Thus, little realizations like that and them coming to their own conclusions, rather than being sold/preached. [It’s] much more powerful in creating behavioral and mindset changes. And … maybe next time one is offered a plastic bag, they will behave differently.”

Stroodles last one hour in cold drinks, even longer in very cold drinks and could even be used with multiple refills. “We dare you on how long you can Stroodle. As for hot drinks, it is not recommended in general to drink hot drinks through a straw, due to risk of burning oneself, but then again, when used as a stirrer, ie. for coffee and for a few seconds, that’s totally fine. And, in any case, I had kids drink hot chocolate through Stroodles, and they loved it when they got bendy afterward.”