Plastic straws are small, but they are one of the most common trash items found in the ocean each year and have been attributed with the destruction of marine life. The shift away from classic straws hasn't affected most able-bodied Americans, but the bans and campaigns have forced many restaurants to find or purchase pricier straw alternatives.
Brew's Lee Tea, a small Taiwanese tea shop located in Alamo Heights, was an early adopter of hay straws and biodegradable bowls, but owner Frances Lee struggled to find an eco-friendly option for their popular boba tea, until now.
Lee recently teamed up with a sugarcane supplier in Taiwan to create thousands of new sugarcane straws, which will be arriving at the tea shop in the coming weeks. The update will make Brew's Lee Tea a more sustainable shop with 100% environmentally-friendly straw, Lee said.
Unlike regular plastic straws that never decompose, the new sugarcane straws decompose within six months.
The increased straw price isn't as important as improving environmental sustainability, Lee said in a recent press release, it's a small change that can make a big difference.
