Patent Attorney and Founder
Sharks? Oh, please. You’re worried about sharks? I’m way more concerned about the 500 million straws we use every day in the U.S. Yeah, it’s a huge number, and it’s hard to wrap your head around. Here’s a better way to picture it: every second, that’s 5,700 straws.
Plastic straws are quickly losing popularity, getting banned in cities and countries around the globe. So, we thought, why not redesign the straw altogether? Enter Final Straw—the world’s first reusable, collapsible straw. It folds up into a case the size of a car key and is small enough to slip into your pocket or keychain.
The movement to ditch plastic straws is gaining serious traction, and we’re right in the thick of it. So, sharks, who’s ready to help us make a difference? We’ve got samples! Here, take a look at these: Coral, Shark Butt Gray, Arctic Melt Blue, and Succulent Green.
Where did these straws come from, you ask? These aren’t just any straws. Many of them were used straws collected by an artist in Malibu, who’s working on an installation to showcase the problem of single-use plastic. She’s turning this mess into art.
It’s clear that the issue is huge. You might have heard about the researchers who found a plastic straw stuck in a sea turtle’s nostril. Disturbing, right?
As for us, we’re passionate about this cause. I just finished my master’s in Environmental Management and Sustainability at Harvard, and I’ve also worked at Los Alamos National Lab on waste minimization. My partner? She’s the “straw girl.” She gave a TEDx talk on plastic straws, and we both met through a mutual friend.
How much does it cost to make? About $5. How much do we sell it for? $20. Expensive? Maybe. But we’ve already raised $1.89 million on Kickstarter in just 30 days and we’re delivering products soon.
What’s next? David shares his thoughts: Straws are a problem we’ve all known about for years. I remember visiting a zoo with my kids where straws were banned, but the real issue goes beyond that. Now we have alternatives, like paper straws that last two sips, or metal ones that need constant cleaning. Sure, we could do biodegradable options, but they still end up being single-use. Plastic may be out, but the solution is still evolving.