Cities are banning them. Airlines are ditching them. Starbucks wants to eliminate them by the year 2020.
As the debate around single-use plastic straws rages on, many people today are asking: Should plastic straws be banned entirely? Will that ban alienate consumers with disabilities? Will we eventually need to carry our own straws?
For that last question, one Chicago-based company wants to be the go-to brand for reusable straws.
SWZLE, a Chicago-based reusable straw company, recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $12,500 to fund production for its line of reusable straws and custom straw carrying cases.
Founded in July by former Chicago Bear Ryan Mundy and Philip Causgrove, former director of business development at Bucketfeet, SWZLE markets its straws to environmentally conscious consumers, especially in areas that have banned plastic straws like Seattle, Oakland and Miami Beach. SWZLE is launching its fundraising campaign at a time when plastic straws are a big part of the public discourse, particularly for failing to consider what a lack of plastic straws would mean for people with disabilities.
“Folks with disabilities cannot be left behind," Mundy said. "So obviously, restaurants and entertainment venues in their efforts to move away from plastic straws will still need to find a sustainable solution.”
Mundy played eight seasons in the NFL, including two years with the Chicago Bears. He is also the founder is own VC firm, Techlete Ventures.
The initial line of straws will include a standard-sized cocktail, straight, and bent straw. They will be manufactured overseas, but the company might bring production back to the U.S. once the company grows larger, said Causgrove. Future versions of the straw will include wider straws that will accommodate thicker drinks like smoothies and shakes.
There are also cultural implications to consider with a straw ban. While reducing plastic straws will decrease a portion of single-use plastic waste, some drinks simply require a straw to drink effectively. For example, bubble tea with boba, a popular staple among the Asian community, requires a wide straw to consume.
For now, SWZLE plans to sell the straws online, but they eventually want to expand into retail, hotels and restaurants, Causgrove said.
The company currently can't donate a portion of its Kickstarter proceeds to charity, per the platform’s rules, but it wants to donate funds to Zero Waste Chicago or other nonprofits in the future, Causgrove said. The company aims to attract environmentally-conscious consumers who want to reduce their plastic use.
In 2010, 8 million metric tons of mismanaged plastic waste went into the ocean, according to researchers at the University of Georgia. Among the top ten items most often collected during U.S. coastal cleanup efforts, straws are No. 6, behind cans, bottles, caps, food wrappers and cigarette butts, a 2017 International Coastal Cleanup 2017 Report found.
“While we absolutely are a for-profit business and we want to become successful, at the end of the day, we really want to make an impact on the 8 million tons single-use plastic waste that gets put into the ocean every year,” Causgrove said.
Kickstarter backers can purchase two straws and a case for $20. The company plans to ship out its first straws to consumers by December.
