Reusable Straw Sleeve by StrawSleeves

I knew my zero waste kit was missing something, but I wasn’t quite sure what it was. It wasn’t until I was introduced to StrawSleeves that I knew a reusable straw sleeve and hemp utensil kit were my missing tools!

I’ve been a big user of reusable straws and love slipping one in my smoothies.  Although functional, it found it tough when I used a reusable utensil on the go, but had no way to safely store it before tossing it back in my purse. As some of you may relate, bags get messy and I want my utensils to be separate from loose change clinking around the bottom of my purse!

A reusable straw sleeve is such a simple, functional essential for any eco-conscious person adapting towards a green lifestyle.

Eco-friendly Fabrics

These utensil and reusable straw holders by StrawSleeves are a perfect gift because not only as they sustainable in function (i.e., encouraging the use and transport of your utensils), the holder itself is made from reclaimed cotton, and hemp! Hemp is an amazing material because it produces incredible yields per acre. Essentially ever part of the hemp plant can be used in someway, so it saves waste along with land and water use.  Hemp fabrics are also a very durable and breathable textile!

The fabrics are triple stitched so the sleeves can be washed over and over again. Although it’s ideal to rinse your straw after using it, from my zero waste challenge I noticed that that wasn’t always easy in reality. I was often caught in moments where I didn’t have that option, so a washable StrawSleeve or two are a lifesaver.

Utensil Pouch

Besides the trusty reusable straw sleeve, I also tested StrawSleeve‘s Multi-Utensil Pack! It’s handmade with hemp and reclaimed cotton fabrics with four compartments. It can be rolled up and tied together in a bow and it perfect for a picnic, weekend trip, or a long day on the go! 

Stainless Steel

StrawSleeves also sells straws of their own! I already have some beautiful reusable glass straws and was happy to also see various options on the market, such as one with a spoon or bent tip (for those of you who love a thin bendy straw!) Cheri, the creator of StrawSleeves, included a straw spoon for me to test!

I made a fruit-filled green smoothie with thick chia pudding that I could sip with the straw and use the spoon to eat with. It worked beautifully!

Saves Plastic!

The United States uses 500 million plastic straws a day. That is a lot of plastic! Plastic is not biodegradable, which means it can take upwards of one thousand years to fully decompose. That means that the plastic straws we throw away sit in landfills for centuries, or worse: end up in the ocean.

Waves can break up plastic, but this doesn’t make degrading the straw better for the environment. When broken up into small pieces, known as microplastics, they are often eaten by organisms that think they are food. Often the plastic sits in the stomachs of aquatic life and can’t be released, causing starvation and premature deaths. Is the convenience of a disposable plastic straw worth any of this? Of course not. In fact, why use a disposable plastic straw, when reusable straws are just as convenient when you have a reusable straw sleeve to protect it?