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The Best Straws Suck Messages

The Best Straws Suck Messages

Plastic straws win the award for the most totally useless thing that we ever got sucked into that do nothing useful and everything wrong. 

The bloody things are clogging up every orifice on the planet and then some. But the campaign to ban straws is growing - along with other single use plastics. To celebrate, here are some of the messages from campaigners around the web, starting with the numbers from One World, One Ocean



The Story of Stuff were one of the first to focus on consumption when Annie Leonard first released a online documentary about it in 2007, called The Story of Stuff. That began the conversation about our consumption-crazed culture.



Eco with Em is a facebook page owned by Emily Ehlers, a writer, artist, communicator and eco warrior. Her work on anything eco never fails to nail her point to the wall. Nicely, but firmly. (Unlike myself, who generally stoops to swearing pretty quickly.) 

I confess to being a bit of an Eco with Em stalker, so have included 3(!) of her Straw Poles because they are just so damned good. 




Possibly my favourite is by Wayne Morris. I know you are thinking that this message is clearly not true, but who has ever seen a unicorn to prove it either way?

If you really do want a straw, (that is neither plastic nor a unicorn's penis), there are plenty of bamboo, glass and metal alternatives around. You can get them from places like Your Straw, The Ethical Straw Co, Glass Straws, Clean Coast Collective



Images:  Carla Scotto | One World, One Ocean | The Story of Stuff | Wayne Morris
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Science Notes
In all fairness, when Marvin Stone invented the original paper & paraffin straw in 1881, he had good reason. He didn't like the residue left in his mint julep from the stalk of rye grass, which was the straw of the day. 

The bendy plastic straw that is now tipping into our oceans was invented by Joseph Friedman in 1938 and the rest is marine life history.
Related Tip

Put your old plastic to good use. This tip could be of exceptional value to anyone who has given up plastic and looking for options to use up what's in the cupboard.

Hats. If you are looking for a Fascinator or hat for the races, we have rounded up some upcycle inspiration for you. We couldn't find actual Aussie eco milliners who might make any of these, but would love to hear of any you know. In the meantime, here is a truly inspirational set of options to copy or play off.