Bulk drinking straws have been part of human life for thousands of years, though most of us would consider them a fairly modern invention. While the use of plastic straws has increased since WWII, only falling out of favour until recently, the humble drinking straw has been around for centuries and been made of all manner of eco-friendly materials (like the current range of promotional reusable straws).

The History of Promotional Drinking Straws

The ancient Sumerians are considered the first to have invented straws for drinking liquids, based on the existence of ancient straws in Sumerian tombs made from precious metal and stones. Our modern plastic drinking straws might not be encrusted with jewels, but they performed the same task, and the use of cheap material like plastic meant they could be produced in bulk easily for use with the growing takeaway food industry during the mid-20th century.

Milton Dinhofer was behind the original patent for a twisty drink straw, but it was Marvin Stone who is probably best known for modernising the bulk drinking straw. Before plastic straws, mass-produced drinking utensils were produced using natural materials. In the 1800s this was seen in the Rye Grass Straw, which was cheap and easy to produce by hollowing out stalks of ryegrass. The unfortunate issue with Rye Grass Straws was that they very quickly lost their strength once placed in liquids and would soon turn into a disgusting mush.

In 1888 Marvin Stone decided to think outside the box and combat the issues with the Rye Grass Straws that were popular on the US market. His goal was to find a way to stop the straw from falling to bits once exposed to liquid and thus avoid the unpleasant taste of rye in his drinks. Stone did this by coating a paper tube with wax, eventually developing a machine to do this in large quantities. The wax protected the paper and waste was minimal; the new Wax Paper Straw was the new way to sip drinks while out on the town.

Plastic Straws vs. Metal and Eco Straws

Eventually, Stone's wax paper straws fell out of favour as plastic drinking straws began being produced at a lower cost. This was around the conclusion of WWII when plastic was becoming the preferred way of modernising everyday instruments. From then until the early 00's people enjoyed using these cheap, throwaway straws with little thought. In recent years, however, the magnitude of plastic pollution in the world has made the general public sit up and take notice of alternative straw options.

These days it's eco-friendly promotional products such as reusable silicone straws and bulk metal straws that are the choice way to sip your drink. These straws are individually personalised and can be used and washed countless times, making them a smarter investment than disposable straws.

So while consumers may have been entranced for a stage by the ease of disposable plastic straws decades ago, the availability of reusable options combined with the resurgence of Stone's old-school Wax Paper Straws means that old-school cool continues to reign supreme. If you want to get on board with this fantastic and environmentally aware trend, contact our friendly sales team today.

Straw details spotted here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drinking_straw