HALM GLASS STRAWS: FOR THE SAKE OF THE ENVIRONMENT
“[…] As a small café that works with regional producers and sustainable products, the HALM straws underline what we do and how we think.”
Heike Fürstenwerth, owner of Café MORGÆN
The problem with plastic straws
In Germany alone, 40 billion plastic straws are used every year and mostly thrown away after a few minutes. That is 1.3 plastic straws per person every day. But the life of a plastic straw does not end once it has been disposed of: it can take up to 500 years for the material to break down completely. Contrary to what is often assumed, plastic straws cannot be recycled because of their size.
Plastic straws actually disrupt the recycling process, clog machines and can even damage them. So they are not recycled but end up in landfill and in waste incineration plants.
Because of a lack of disposal routes, single-use straws often end up in our waters, where they cause great harm. Every 7th item found on beaches and along rivers is a plastic straw. That is why the EU has banned certain plastic and polystyrene products since 3 July 2021, and that includes the plastic straw.
HALM is the best alternative to the plastic straw
One reason the plastic straw ban became possible is that sensible alternatives exist. After all, the goal is: “Away from single-use, towards reusable”. But which reusable straw is best suited? HALM has already been featured several times in the media as the solution. A comparison of the most common alternatives also shows that glass stands out as the perfect replacement. It does depend on the right glass, however: borosilicate glass is not a sustainable alternative because it cannot be recycled.
More about the straw comparison
But not all glass is the same
A reusable straw only really makes sense if it contributes to sustainability and does not itself become waste after use. Circularity through recycling with waste glass therefore comes first.
Unfortunately, the glass commonly used on the market is not always recyclable. So-called borosilicate glass owes its name to the chemical element boron it contains. Boron does make the glass very resistant, but its higher melting point makes recycling with conventional waste glass more difficult. HALM glass straws, by contrast, are made of special glass that is 100% recyclable and extremely sturdy.
Free from harmful substances, fair & social
HALM glass straws are sustainable not only because they can be recycled. They are also free from toxic chemicals, petroleum and dyes that can harm people and the environment. In addition, we source our glass only from sustainable sources, work together with people with disabilities and reduce waste through plastic-free shipping.
Every set sold makes a donation
Using HALM already avoids billions of plastic straws, but we want to achieve more! That is why we cooperate with Trash Hero World, a global organisation that does valuable work with cleanups and education, above all in South-East Asia. After all, so much plastic waste has already been generated worldwide that needs to be disposed of. Since September 2019, every set sold has made a donation to Trash Hero, supporting their important work.
Would you like to make your contribution to sustainability too?
Order your first HALM glass straws here in our shop.