Safety and cleanliness first! That’s what is on everyone’s mind these days with COVID-19. Whether you are out at a restaurant, grabbing a smoothie, or just out and about, what you put in your mouth should be something clean and yours. Can you really trust the people who are handling your drinks and touching your straw? Do you even know where that straw was before it landed in the restaurant? And, is that plastic straw being wasteful to the environment too?! All these questions need answers, and now there is one with The Straw.
Thanks to Bert Balas and The Straw which he created, there is now a safe, clean and reusable straw anyone can use that is not only always with you, but is also helping to save the planet from wasteful one-use plastics.
The American Reporter investigated and spoke more with Balas about his creation and how it is helping Americans to drink much more safely in our current society.
1. Tell us about The Straw and how you came up with it?
The Straw is designed to inspire a sustainable future as the state of our environment is not going to improve without action. People around the world are becoming more environmentally conscious by the day and are looking for ways to do their part in making a positive impact. Reusable straws are a great place to start, especially with the ban of single-use plastics rolling out across the globe.
With single-use plastic straws on the way out, there has been a lot of discussion around alternatives that walk the same line of being a single-use product. I don’t believe this is a viable solution to the problem as this still requires a great deal of resources, manufacturing, packaging and transportation to supply the demand of billions of straws around the world on a daily basis.
After doing a bit of research on reusable straws available on the market, we decided there was room for improvement. Our goal is to provide a premium portable straw that answers the shortcomings of reusable straws available. It’s compact, easy to clean, easy to carry and versatile in length. The Straw has been compared to gadgets from a James Bond 007 movie, in its ability to adapt to various situations by threading together high quality precision parts. Talk about taking your straw game to a whole new level! The idea is to improve the user experience, not sacrifice it. With a four piece straw the user can adapt to various size drinks without sacrificing comfortability and the best part is that when you’re done your drink, The Straw is rinsed inside the watertight carrying case. Simply add a small amount of water to the case before leaving home and carry a quick rinse on-the-go. There is no need to sneak off to the public restroom for a rinse or carrying around a sticky mess throughout the day to be cleaned at home. This is meant to be an everyday personal item that you look forward to using for many years. I think we have designed just that and we stand behind our product with a 14 day money back guarantee and lifetime warranty!
2. Some States across the USA have banned single-use plastics. Why should other those other States who haven’t yet follow and do the same?
I believe those who have banned are doing a great job in setting an example of how to make real movements toward a sustainable future! There is no doubt in my mind that other States and even Countries will follow in the pursuit to improve the state of our environment. There is a movement taking place that is directed by the people of this planet. It goes deeper than Government regulations and is taking place at the heart of humanity with each individual waking up to what needs to be done.
With that being said, I’d like to make a note of something very important that has come to my attention during this mission to provide a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic straws. Many people depend on the single-use plastic straws in their daily lives and we shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater just yet. Some disabilities make it absolutely impossible to use anything but a single-use plastic straw at this point in time. A quick Google search on “people that depend on single-use plastic straws” will give you pages of stories about various people that are being left behind on our mission for sustainability. I do believe a ban on single-use plastics is in order for the masses, though we should not demonize plastics all together as they do solve many problems that dont have viable alternatives at this point in time. This is a valuable resource that just needs to be used more responsibly.
3. How has your recent partnership with PETA been going?
Our new partnership with PETA has been fantastic! They have been very welcoming and supportive of our product and mission. We kicked off our partnership with a large donation of straws in support of PETA President, Ingrid Newkirk’s virtual birthday bash. The Straw donation went into gift bags for people that attended the party. We look forward to networking with other PETA partners and continuing to support PETA missions that help improve the state of our planet.
4. With COVID-19 obviously a big topic, how does your product fit into the ever-changing ways of our society during these times?
Many people that have adopted The Straw during these times have mentioned peace of mind in knowing they are the only one who have touched and cleaned their straw. As businesses and restaurants have been opening their doors to the public again, there is still concern of contracting the virus. With your own personal straw there is much less risk of contracting the virus from your lips touching a glass or straw that was served to you by someone that could be a potential carrier of COVID-19.
5. Where can people get your product today?
As of today The Straw is only available online at www.thestraw.shop where everyone can benefit from our huge summer discount for a limited time with free shipping when you order 2 or more straws. Don’t forget, we stand behind our product with a 14 day money back guarantee and a lifetime warranty. If you’re not 100% satisfied with your product (you would be the first), we will provide a full refund!
6. What’s on the horizon for The Straw and your product line / company?
We are continuously improving our product and procedures to provide the most value to our customers possible. We had originally launched The Straw without unnecessary packaging to reduce our environmental footprint, but are implementing new means of packaging by popular demand, coming very soon. We are also working on a new website to improve our online experience and will be launching The Straw on Amazon this year. The Straw’s popularity is growing fast and expected to be available in stores soon. Come visit us online and sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date with exciting news, contests, prizes and more!
