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Ecological Pressure Against Plastic Straws Created an Alternative to them in Rio, Brazil

Among the essential items for nutritionist Fernanda Bezerra, 29 years of age, which she always carries is her wallet, cellphone and a stainless steel straw. The metal utensil is a gift given to her by a friend after she vented out about the pollution in the ocean when she visited the Philippines. "It shocked me".

Attitudes like Fernanda's are getting more common and can become the norm. In Rio, the city hall started last week the inspection of a law that forces stores and shops to offer paper straws and prohibits the plastic version. Similar laws could become the reality in other cities in Brazil.

In social media, images showing animals affected by the pollution are getting the attention from everyone. One of the most watched videos is that of a straw being removed from the nose of a turtle. "I love animals. I have been following this topic and watching that sort of thing on the Internet, looking for alternatives", says 25 years old lawyer Georgia Moraes.

About a month ago, she bought two reusable straws, one made of glass and the other, made of stainless steel. In her opinion, the use of the plastic version was so common that abandoning it makes her feel uncomfortable. "There was one time when the waitress offered a plastic straw and I almost used it because I had forgotten I had my reusable straw in the bag", she said.

For others, the straw is just one of the items they throw away. "We try not to buy stuff whose composition is heavily based on plastic, we bring our bags when we buy things, and opt for places where the scales are at checkout", says the 21 years old business woman Rebeca Simões. Since she didn't find reusable straws in the city she lives in (Silva Jardim from the state of Rio de Janeiro), she improvised with a thermal glass, which already comes with a removable straw.

The phenomenon can also be spotted in the food industry. Just in the last weeks, UK's MacDonald's and Starbucks announced that they will abandon plastic straws soon. The trend has come to Brazil - and not only in organic food restaurants.  In Grupo Maní, whose leader is the chef Helena Rizzo, the plastic straw is not used anymore since March and, in case customers ask for them, oxy-biodegradable straws are offered instead.

But Frank Bar, from Maksoud Hotel, in the south zone of the city, repeats the proposal with a piece of paper. We made the menu thinking that we weren't going to use plastic straws", said the bartender Spencer Amereno Jr. According to him, the change was made to avoid using long glasses and tone down the amount of plastic used in the decor. "We can't be hypocrites", he explains.

In the Gastronomy and Culture Company, the solution came from one of the eight houses of the group: the Quintana Bar, in the south section of the city, which serves mate bombs as replacement for straws. "It's an alternative we already had", said the founder, chief Macos Livi. Of all their branches, only the burger place needed another alternative (pasta straws) because of the milkshakes sold there.

 In the entrepreneur world, the search for more sustainable products also becomes a business opportunity. For three years, Patricya Bezerra, 33 years old, and Jéssica Pertile, 30 years old, were the leaders of pro-environmental events in Curitiba, Brazil. In 2016, they took a longer approach and launched BeeGree, a branch for sustainable domestic items. "We realized that being environmental activists wasn't enough, we needed to provide the tools as well. A lot of what we saw on the Internet could be obtained only outside of Brazil", said Patrycia, who is a process engineer.

Among the products, the "carrochefe" are the four models of stainless steel straws. The monthly production is around 20 thousand units. The biggest demand is concentrated in Rio and São Paulo, but Brasília and the Northeast are also making a push to get onto the stage.

 A similar scenario is mentioned by the founder of Mentah, Helen Rodrigues (34 years old), a pharmacist that uses borosilicate glass straws (which is more resistant than common glass). "We sold this month the same amount we sold last year, since the launch in june." There are demand points in 10 States and a monthly production of 4 thousand unities". Among the reusable models in the market, there are also other options: wheat bamboo and even comestibles).

 It can calculated that the plastic straw can last for around 400 years in nature, says Cláudio Gonçalves Tiago, a Marine Biology professor in Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Besides harming animals, the straws also release chemical substances to the environment. "The chances of it going to the ocean are almost 100%". For him, more than to veto the straws, the solution must be based on management and recycling. "If it ends completely, it can harm people with reduced mobility (people who can't hold glasses, for example)." 

 Source: https://istoe.com.br/pressao-ecologica-faz-surgir-opcao-ao-canudo-de-plastico/

 
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