STROHHALM-ALTERNATIVEN IM VERGLEICH

How can we prevent billions of drinking straws from ending up in the garbage every day?
What are the alternatives to plastic straws? Basically, they can be divided into two general groups: disposable and reusable.

Reusable-straws

made of glass, stainless steel, or plastic; a better ecological footprint in contrast to disposable drinking straws, and a more suitable alternative as part of a circular economy. However, they are very difficult to clean; it is only possible to remove all residue manually and laboriously using a small brush.

Alternative disposable-straws

made of paper, apple residue, and so-called "bioplastics" are biodegradable to a limited extent, but pollute the environment due to their poor ecological footprint, also end up in the garbage after a short period of enjoyment, and are not recyclable.

Drinking straws compared

We tested out the most popular alternatives from the two groups, took a close look, and summarized the results—read for yourself why many of these products are not such a good choice after all:


Disposable straws

Mehrere gruene kompostierbare Strohhalme aus Bioplastik

Bioplastic straws
Ultimately no better than disposable ones

"Bioplastic" is not clearly defined. It could be produced using biomaterial such as sugar cane or corn, but might also contain conventional plastics. Its ecological footprint? Enormous. Continue reading

Advantages:

  • Hygienic
  • Shatterproof
  • Tasteless

Disadvantages:

  • disposable
  • High CO2 and resource consumption
  • Food waste
  • Not recyclable
  • Micro- and nanoparticles are released during the degradation process
  • Contains chemical stabilizers
Mehrere bunte Papierstrohhalme als schlechte Strohhalm-Alternative.

Paper straws
Risk to health and the environment

Not harmless at all. Paper drinking straws contain stabilizers that can enter your drink and can be carcinogenic. Due to their chemical treatment, paper straws are not recyclable. Producing them uses up valuable wood resources. Continue reading

Advantages:

  • Visually appealing
  • Hygienic
  • Shatterproof

Disadvantages:

  • disposable
  • Contain carcinogenic substances
  • Poor ecological balance
  • High water and energy consumption
  • Not recyclable - disposal only via residual waste
  • Non biodegradable
  • Not tasteless
  • High consumption of wood resources
Mehrere essbare Strohhalme als schlechte Strohhalm-Alternative.

Edible straws
Unappetitliche Lebensmittel­verschwen­dung

They are made of foodstuffs or residues that could be used for animal feed. And they are often not eaten but simply thrown away, and use up a lot of energy during production. Continue reading

Advantages:

  • Biodegradable
  • Hygienic

Disadvantages:

  • disposable
  • Food waste
  • Requires a lot of energy and water
  • Poor ecological footprint
  • Not tasteless
  • Hohe Wandstärke und geringer Durchmesser

Reusable straws

Mehrere Bambus-Strohhalme liegen nebeneinander auf einem weißen Untergrund.

Reusable and natural material but a poor ecological footprint. Bamboo drinking straws are expensive to produce, can be contaminated with pesticides and germs, and are not suitable for catering. Continue reading

Advantages:

  • Reusable
  • Natural material
  • Disposal with biowaste
  • Shatterproof

Disadvantages:

  • Not suitable for the dishwasher
  • Risk of germs forming and contamination from pesticides
  • Cleanliness cannot be checked visually.
  • Can be contaminated with pesticides under certain circumstances
  • Unsightly discoloring
  • Not tasteless
  • Can't be used in catering
  • Not recyclable
Mehrere Glasstrohalme als nicht bruchsichere Strohhalm-Alternative sind.

Glass straws
No clear advantage to be seen

Glass drinking straws are reusable and look good at first glance. But: Inadequate cleaning options lead to germ and lime formation, and the fragile material is potentially dangerous. Continue reading

Advantages:

  • Reusable
  • Recyclable
  • Completely tasteless
  • Dishwasher-safe
  • Free from harmful substances

Disadvantages:

  • Complicated to clean
  • Health hazard due to germ formation
  • Risk of injury, especially to children
  • Unaesthetic in the long term
Mehrere Metallstrohhalme bzw. Edelstahlstrohhalme als Symbol für den Nachteil.

Metal straws
Hazardous for health and the environment

Reusable, but no alternative. Stainless steel drinking straws are difficult to clean, promote germ formation, and pose a potential risk of injury. Ecological footprint? Poor, owing to CO2 emissions in production alone. Continue reading

Advantages:

  • Reusable
  • Good-looking
  • Reusable
  • Dishwasher-safe
  • Tasteless
  • Free from harmful substances

Disadvantages:

  • Thorough cleaning only possible manually using a brush
  • High energy and CO2 emissions
  • Cleanliness cannot be checked visually.
  • Dirt deposits on the inside after long-term use
  • Not tasteless
  • Increased security risk
  • Cannot be easily recycled
Mehrere Sliderstraw Mehrweg-Strohhalme als Symbol-Bild für die echte nachhaltige Alternative.

SLIDERSTRAW
Reusable straw reinvented

Due to the patented construction of the SLIDERSTRAWS, after drinking it can be easily divided into 2 halves, cleaned without residue and reused - and all this without a brush and even in the eco-wash cycle.

BPA FREE

FOOD-
SAFE

NO BRUSH
NECESSARY

NOT
BREAKABLE

DISHWASHER-
SAFE

RECYCLABLE

Advantages:

  • Reusable
  • Good-looking
  • Reusable
  • Dishwasher-safe
  • Tasteless
  • Free from harmful substances
  • Recyclable
  • Completely tasteless
  • Shatterproof
  • Hygienic
  • Easy to clean

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