Straw straws: drinking straws that are just a plant

In short

• A "straw straw" is a hollow plant stem, usually reed or wheat, cut to length, washed and heat-sterilised. Nothing is added.
• Because the stem is already a tube, there is nothing to glue. That is the big difference with paper straws, which are rolled and bonded with adhesive.
• They do not go soggy, work in hot and cold drinks, and compost like any plant matter.
• Our pick: Reedest from Estonia. Also good: StrawZ / HAY! Straws, Straw by Straw and PaiDinPai.

The oldest straw is a stem

Long before plastic, people drank through reeds and rye stalks. The word "straw" itself comes from the dried stem of a cereal. Plastic replaced it in the twentieth century because it was cheap and uniform. Now that single-use plastic straws are banned in the EU, many cafés switched to paper or "bioplastic" (PLA). Both have a catch.

Why paper and bioplastic fall short

Paper straws are strips of paper wound into a tube and held together with glue. Many also carry a water-resistant coating. They soften in your drink, and studies have found persistent "forever chemicals" (PFAS) in a large share of paper and plant-fibre straws tested in Europe.

PLA straws look and feel like plastic. They only break down in industrial composting at high heat, which most cities do not collect for. In nature or at sea, they behave a lot like ordinary plastic.

A plant stem needs neither glue nor coating. Wetland reed grows in water, so it is naturally resistant to liquid.

How a reed straw is made

1. Reed is harvested in winter, when the stems are dry.
2. Stems are cut between the knots into tubes of the right length.
3. They are cleaned with water and sorted by diameter.
4. They are heat-treated to make them food safe.
5. They are packed, ideally in cardboard without plastic or tape.

That is the whole recipe.

Reed or wheat?

• Reed (Phragmites) is thicker and sturdier. Good for smoothies, iced coffee and hot drinks. Many can be rinsed and used more than once.
• Wheat stems are thinner and lighter, close to a classic cocktail straw. Usually single use. They are tested gluten-free by the makers listed below.

Who makes them without glue or plastic

Reedest (Estonia) — our first recommendation

Reedest makes straws from wild common reed harvested on the Estonian coast. Their declaration of conformity states the straws are fully natural, with no synthetics or chemical processing: cleaned with water and natural surfactants, then heat-sterilised, with nothing added. They are tested for food safety under EU food contact rules.

What we like most is the circularity. Reed spreads so fast on Estonian shores that it has to be cut back to protect other plants and wildlife. Reedest turns that necessary harvest into a product. Estonia has more than 27,000 hectares of reed; their full production needs about 200 hectares a year. The straws suit hot and cold drinks, can be used several times, and compost in nature in roughly 250 days. They come in regular and jumbo sizes, in packs from 10 to 500, for homes, cafés, weddings and food trucks.

StrawZ / HAY! Straws (Netherlands, US)

StrawZ sells HAY! Straws made from wheat stems, plus jumbo straws from reed. Nothing else is added, they are tested gluten-free and plastic-free. In the US the same straws are sold as HAY! Straws.

Straw by Straw (Netherlands)

Straw by Straw supplies cafés and restaurants with reed and wheat straws only, and is also stocked at Dutch wholesalers such as Hanos, Sligro and Bidfood.

PaiDinPai (Romania)

PaiDinPai cuts wheat stalks by hand, washes and sterilises them, and packs them in self-folding cardboard boxes without plastic or adhesives. A good example of a small maker doing the whole chain carefully.

How to use and care for them

• Rinse before first use.
• Each straw is slightly different in width. That is a stem, not a defect.
• Reed straws can be rinsed, dried upright and reused a few times. Wheat straws are best used once.
• When done, put them in the compost or green bin.
• Not suitable for children under three, as with any small natural object.

Ask your café

If your local café still uses paper or PLA straws, mention these makers. Reed and wheat straws are sold in bulk for hospitality, and a box of 500 lasts a long time. Small changes like this add up across a city.

Know another maker of plain plant straws without glue or plastic? Écrivez-nous and we will take a look.