A Better Way To Sip — Glass Straws vs. Plastic Straws

Did you know we throw away over 500 MILLION straws every day? That's enough to fill 46 large school busses every year. And unfortunately, they're not recyclable or biodegradable. So that means they end up in landfills and our oceans and never go away — ever.

Have you ever heard of the North Pacific garbage patch? It's an area of garbage twice the size of Texas floating out in the Pacific Ocean. Most of it is plastic, and straws are in the top 10 list of items found there. Birds and marine life eat them and die, and the straws wash up on beaches, killing other animals as well.  

Plastic straws are also made of toxic chemicals known to increase risk of cancer, reproductive disorders, and hyperactivity in children. And while you're unlikely to get dangerous levels of exposure from occasional plastic straw use, those chemicals are leaching into our soil and water, subjecting us to regular (and ever-increasing) levels of toxins. 

So what can one person do about such a big problem? Believe it or not, just one person making the switch from plastic straws to glass straws can keep an average of 600 plastic straws out of the environment PER YEAR. That's more than 36,000 over a 60-year lifetime. That means one family of 4 switching to glass straws has the power to keep 144,000 straws from polluting the planet. And that's significant.

Now imagine you convince another person to switch to glass straws, and another, and another… Now we're talking a huge potential to do good. Just by making one simple choice to switch to glass straws.

Here are 10 great reasons to make the switch to Hummingbird Glass Straws: 

1. They reduce waste and pollution
2. They help keep our oceans clean and save wildlife
3. They reduce your family's exposure to toxic chemicals
4. They teach kids about environmental conservation
5. Unlike plastic, glass straws can be used in hot drinks
6. Your purchase helps support recycling and sustainable living projects around the world
7. They protect sensitive teeth 
8. They protect teeth from cavities and stains
9. Drinks actually taste a lot better
10. They're made in the USA!

Still have questions about our glass straws? Check out or FAQ page for more information.