Pasta straws are an edible alternative to plastic straws

Every day, Americans use over 500 million plastic straws. All of this plastic contributes to the devasting pollution of the ocean, which is why so many companies are pledging to move away from plastic straws and toward reusable options. And then there are the edible options.

We’ve already posted about cookie straws. As delicious as they may be, however, it looks like they have some competition on the horizon in pasta straws, the newest food-based way for people to reduce their plastic footprint.

Made by companies like Stroodles and The Amazing Pasta Straw, pasta straws are a clever and eco-friendly way to “use your noodle.” They were created to be extra-sturdy and able to withstand your cold beverages without breaking down, meaning you can slurp through these extra-wide noodles just like you would using a regular straw.

Stroodles in particular promises to last for up to one hour before it begins to show any signs of breaking down, making it a flavorless and biodegradable way to drink through a straw without harming the environment. The Amazing Pasta Straw, meanwhile, also promises to hold up better than paper straws (which can quickly become soggy), and the company says they’re a smarter choice than reusable straws, which can be tricky to clean, making them unsanitary.

The only downside to this option is that they aren’t gluten-free as they are, of course, made with wheat. Otherwise, pasta straws are a smart way to slurp your favorite beverages and protect the environment at the same time.

Stroodles is a U.K.-based company that cannot be found stateside at the moment, but The Amazing Pasta Straw was created by visionaries in Malibu, California after plastic straws were banned in the city. Since then, their product has achieved success in markets as large as New York City.

Currently, you can only purchase The Amazing Pasta Straws in bulk on Amazon or from their website. As the pasta straw movement gains popularity, however, we’ll hopefully start seeing these in our grocery stores, too.