A routine request at a drink counter became a small but delightful surprise when a woman who usually skips straws ended up trying one made from lemon.
Instead of being tossed out after a few sips, the lemony straw was eaten.
What happened?
In a YouTube video published on August 7, Kathryn Kellogg, the woman behind the Going Zero Waste channel, featured an alternative to disposable straws that was made to be consumed.
As Kellogg shared, "I asked for no straw, as I normally do, but when I was told it was edible I had to give it a try!"
She later explained that she was at her local Renaissance Faire buying a lemonade when she was offered the edible straw.
Kellogg said that "by itself, it's so good! It's like a lemon drop candy!" She also added that "the straw held up exceedingly well and once my drink was finished then I got a snack. Obviously this type of straw wouldn't work for everyone but I thought it was a really fun zero waste alternative."
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Why does it matter?
Single-use straws may be small, but they add up quickly because they are so often handed out automatically. Estimates have found that in the US, people throw away half a billion straws every day.
For consumers trying to reduce waste, that can make everyday habits like coffee runs, takeout drinks, and restaurant meals more wasteful than they need to be.
An edible straw offers a different kind of convenience. If it works well, which is sometimes a big if, there is nothing extra to throw away, nothing to carry home, and nothing to wash later. That can be especially appealing for people who like the idea of cutting plastic waste but do not want to buy or remember a reusable straw every time they leave the house.
Even when an edible option is not available, asking for no straw can help consumers skip unnecessary extras while cutting clutter and trash at the same time.
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