Stainless Steel Reduces Plastic Waste
Stainless steel is 100% recyclable, making it one of the most environmentally-friendly materials on the planet. At the other end of the spectrum is plastic, a material that can be difficult to recycle and can take up to 1,000 years to decompose. As awareness of the problem of plastic waste grows, stainless steel is helping to combat the issue in many ways by simple replacement.
One of the biggest causes of plastic waste is 'single-use' items, such as cotton buds, drink stirrers and straws: all of these items are set to be banned by 2020 in a government crackdown on the plastic problem. Supermarket giant Morrison's is already prepared for the ban after having removed plastic straws from all of its stores and cafes last year, a move which reduced plastic waste by 30 tonnes at a stroke.
Until recently, the only alternative material used to make drinking straws was paper but, as paper straws do not work well with all types of drink and are not reusable, this did not solve the problem. Morrison's have now introduced reusable straws made using stainless steel and the new product has been an instant hit with customers, quickly selling out on the Morrison's website. The stainless steel drinking straws are sold in packs of four at around £2.50, including a cleaning rod.
Natasha Cook is the packaging manager at Morrison's and, commenting on the introduction of stainless steel straws, said: “We know reducing plastics is a top priority for our customers. We’ve already swapped plastic for paper straws, but by introducing durable and easy-to-wash stainless steel straws we are going one step further.
Stainless steel is a material used widely in the food and drink industries. Check out our website for more information on the stainless steel types particularly suited to these applications.