The very first plastic straw you ever used will be on the planet long after you’re not. Australians use over 10 million straws a day, which now feature in the top ten of all ocean pollutants, yet they are still so popular. Single-use straws are readily available everywhere, from coffee shops and supermarkets through to bars and restaurants.
The good news is that the masterminds behind new glassware brand Wave have spent the last six months developing a new concept to help eliminate plastic straw pollution. New Wave Glass will put an end to the need for disposable straws, and is inspired by the very thing it’s trying to protect – the ocean.
With revolutionary, patented Dual-Chamber Technology, Wave Glass has an internal wall that sits down into the vessel – separating it into two chambers. One chamber holds liquid mixed with crushed ice and garnish (or whatever features in your preferred drink). The other vessel acts as the drinking chamber, allowing only the chilled liquid from the bottom of the vessel to be enjoyed.
The Facts
Plastic straws are too small to be recycled, with a huge proportion ending up in the Earth’s oceans, and it’s estimated by 2050 every seabird will have plastic in its stomach. Plastic ingested by fish is even entering the human food chain.
Now is the time to act, which is why Wave’s creators teamed up with The Last Straw to support their cause and come up with a solution.
Eva Mackinley, Founder The Last Straw, says, “Over the last few years the plastic straw has almost become a symbol of the waste-free movement. People, where possible, have widely changed their thinking and behaviour around disposable plastic straw use.
“While the market is becoming full of disposable alternatives vying for primacy, I have always believed the heart of it is about just using less, or engaging with BYO and reusable options. The Wave Glass design offers the convenience of a straw but without the disposable factor. The future of sustainability is material innovation and out of the box design solutions like this.”
Where you can find Wave
Trend leader and Bar of the Year*, This Must Be The Place in Sydney, will be the first bar to stock Wave Glass this April. Owner Luke Ashton and his team has been working towards a huge reduction in straw usage as part of a bigger sustainability drive, and jumped at the chance to stock the innovative new glassware.
For the launch, Luke has designed an exclusive Wave cocktail available at his bar, named ‘Nu Wave’. Taking inspiration from the flavours of countries that have had their coastlines affected by plastic waste wash-up, the cocktail features Talisker Whisky from the Isle of Skye, young coconuts from the Pacific Islands, pandan from Thailand and lemon myrtle from Australia.
Whilst there have been only 50 of the bespoke, handblown glassware made so far, Wave’s ambition is to replace straws completely across bars far and wide. From a small ripple a mighty Wave grows.
Visit wave-glass.com to find out more or join the movement by enjoying your next drink straw free.
Wave Glass will be available at TMBTP from April 30th onwards.
*Time Out Awards 2017