The next time you get a cocktail, ask for a paper straw...

Five-star hotels and cafes in Chennai are serving up eco-friendly swaps to plastic straws
The next time you get a cocktail, ask for a paper straw...

These are ex-straw-ordinary times. You might have spotted the trend of five-star hotels and upmarket restaurants swapping their usual plastic sippers for eco-friendly metal and paper alternatives over the past few months. But whether you were sipping on a cocktail or a sweet lime juice, here’s the real refresher — the change is no fad. Following a bold announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ban single-use plastics in India by 2022 — this is one clean-up that like it or not, none of us are going ‘suck’ at. 

‘Cromo’ cast
Among the hospitality giants leading the charge in Chennai are the Hilton and Taj Coromandel, alongside cafes, restaurants and watering holes like Anokhi, Galito’s, Goli Soda and Off The Record. The biggest challenge we found, upon chatting with spokespersons from the hotels, was not the cost (10 paise for a plastic straw vs `1 for a paper straw) but finding reliable vendors with high-quality alternatives. Vijay Nair, General Manager, Hilton Chennai says, “We sampled straws for four to five months before we settled on our current ‘Cromo paper’ ones which are hardy enough so the paper does not get soggy.” Made in China and shipped to Chennai from Mumbai — the transaction is fairly elaborate for a quick sip, slurp and burp. But worth the investment, Nair thinks. 

<em>Cocktail in a bulk with a paper straw</em>
Cocktail in a bulk with a paper straw

No straws attached!
Even better than swapping out a plastic straw for a sustainable one is not to use one at all. Documentary filmmaker Sugandhi Gadadhar (38) hasn’t used one in six years. Taking it a step further, she makes heads turn at weddings every time she whips out her stainless steel tumbler when tea is served and makes a statement to all around her by refusing the plastic or paper cup. “I take my stainless tumbler to family functions, on airplanes and to tea shops in rural villages, while on shoot. In fact, that’s how the villagers recognise me these days — as the woman who carries her own tumbler,” she says with a laugh. Often met with indifferent opposition like ‘What difference does it make — it’s just one straw?’ — her response is usually: ‘Hey, unless you’re an infant, do you really need one?’
 

As for those establishments who have opted for reusables made with bamboo or metal — hygiene has been a big question for patrons, unaccustomed to sipping on previously-used straws. Paul Raymond, proprietor of Thirsty Crow, shares that shortly after introducing eco-friendly alternatives at his restobar four months ago, he had to stall the plan because of the non-viable cleaning processes. “Bamboo straws if not dried properly start to smell,” he shares, while, “metal ones need to be soaked in a disinfectant solution overnight”. 

Bamboo & bio-enzymes
Eco-warrior Anand Raja in Bengaluru, a former RJ who now runs Eat Raja, a zero-waste restaurant in Malleshwaram, seems to have come up with innovative solutions on both counts. In fact, he’s gone so far as to eliminate the plastic packaging from the bottle of dish wash as well. Raja makes homemade ‘bio-enzymes’ using wet waste from his main seller on the menu —fruit juice. “The recipe is one part citrus pulp or skins, 10 parts water and jaggery for fermentation,” he says. To cut down on the use of cutlery and plates, his experience cafe, run by mothers of all ages, encourages that you are ‘handfed’ for that sentiment of home. As for the damp bamboo straws, his solution is simple, “I just pop them in the microwave for 60 seconds till they are warm and toasty!”

sonali@newindianexpress.com | @brightasunshine

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