Drinking straws are an elementary item to be used on a daily basis, however, they also cause environmental problems today as well. Millions of the straws are discarded every day in the US alone. These plastic pipes pile up in the oceans and cause pollution faster and worse than expected. To cut on that pollution level, a startup in Singapore is launching Chew. It is a reusable straw with a chewable rubber tip and a spin-dry mechanism. Like other reusable straws, it is also made of aluminum.
However, it doesn’t give a very nice feeling to your lips and teeth. Hence, The tip is made of soft food-grade silicone and come in four patterns. The company perhaps sees the problems with other chewable straws which cause hindrance to straw-chewers everywhere, so the chewability of these silicon tips is a significant selling point. Once the user is done with drinking, the Chew straw pulls apart in two pieces and slides into a plastic carry case. There is a ‘ring’ at one end of the box so that you can spin it on your finger. You can dry the straw off using centrifugal force so it can be used several times during the day.
If you want more cleaning, you can scrub and rinse out using the brush included in the box. If you think its okay to use the regular plastic straws instead of bringing your own, you should know that last month the European Parliment voted in favor of banning the single-use plastics including straws. Reusable straws and coffee cups might be the way into a cleaner environment of the future while the options are running out soon. The Chew straw is on Kickstarter, and the pledge for one starts with $17 for one and $25 for two.