This year, the biggest change for milk tea lovers is that they can no longer drink from ordinary plastic straws.

It has been more than three months since the stringent plastic ban was officially implemented. At present, most tea shops in Beijing have replaced plastic straws with paper straws, which, while better for the environment, is disliked by their loyal consumers everywhere. On social media, the complaints about paper straws have gradually even overshadowed the discussion for environmental protection. Some people said, “The straw just rots in the cup.” “Drinking with a paper straw is like eating a toilet paper roll.” “The new straws have successfully made me quit drinking milk tea.”

• Difficult to Poke into the Cup with Paper Straws?

The paper straw is made by rolling paper into a tube. Although it feels hard, it’s still softer than plastic, making it difficult to poke through the plastic cover on top of the cup.

• Weird Taste with Paper Straws?
  

Some have even ended up drinking milk tea from a bowl

Some people may find paper straws to have a weird taste. Fun fact: that taste is caused by pulp. No wonder someone feels like chewing textbooks!

• Paper Straws Get Limp While Drinking?
  

When enjoying drinks, especially hot drinks, the paper straws will soften and even disintegrate in the cup. “The pleasure of a cup of milk tea used to last for two hours, but now I have to finish drinking it within half an hour, otherwise the straw will rot in my mouth.” said a milk tea lover.

But wait…Is paper straw really friendly to the environment?

The degradation cycle of plastic can be as long as hundreds of years, and it only takes 3 to 4 months for paper to be decomposed in the natural environment. This is why stores use paper straws instead of plastic ones. Paper straws are also made by felling trees and processing, and after use, they do not have the value of secondary use and cannot be recycled, which means they also need to be disposed of by landfill or incineration. Environmentally friendly paper straws are still not 100% environmentally friendly.

So, what about other materials? There are also many merchants who choose PLA straws. They can complete the degradation in as little as 90 days, and the experience of use is not much different from that of plastic straws. However, the cost of PLA straws is about twice that of paper straws, and the supply of raw materials is limited, making it difficult to promote on a large scale.

There are also some stores that take a different approach. For example, McDonald’s and Starbucks choose to use direct drinking cup lids. This perfect design directly eliminates the need for straws.

Moreover, some consumers choose to buy stainless steel straws, which can be reused. After all, the core of the use of plastic products is “disposable”, and the “plastic ban” aims to reduce the use of disposable products.

KEEP READING: Single-Use Plastic Bags Are Now Banned, Here Are 5 Reusable Alternatives

Photo: Pexels, Baidu Image，NetEase News，China Youth Daily

If you read my first self-assessment of the Plastic-Free Challenge, you could see I have far to go. One thing I didn’t do last week is to involve my family in the challenge. Between starting school and my new job here, I thought we had enough change in our lives. So I asked Issy Dickson, the Strategic Partnerships Coordinator at Roots & Shoots, to give us some pointers for the last stretch of the plastic-free challenge, and beyond. Her suggestions are in bold and my ideas follow: 

Plan Ahead (Even More So Than Usual)

Dickson elaborates, “Plastic creeps into our lives without us even noticing, so really try and think about each day and what obstacles you will face.” I had a lot of reflection last week on where I could reduce my use and how I might eliminate plastic in some parts of my life. I did purchase a reusable coffee mug and now I keep it in my bag or always washed at home. The hardest thing to combat is definitely how it creeps into our lives: how I grab a water bottle from the table at our school’s orientation without even thinking, or how I open one for my youngest before realizing that I am taking advantage of one-use plastic, again. I appreciate it when a restaurant wants to accommodate our masks and keep them germ-free as possible, but I just stare at the plastic bag they give me for storage. Is there a better way?

How to face the challenge? This week I plan to practice saying, “No thank you. I brought my own.”

A friend in the US posted a good idea she saw in her shift as a waitress. Little heart pins or clips that hold the elastic from a mask. Now how do you stop crumbs from getting into them?

Explain to Your Children Why You Are Doing the Challenge

“Excite them about getting involved rather than simply telling them that they will take part,” Dickson says. 

I can’t start with the concept of plastic and reducing it, however. I know from experience that if our kids understand why we want to reduce plastic use in our lives. Two years ago I  organized a lake clean up day with local families for Earth Day. It worked well, but almost too well since my son will still stop in the middle of crossing the street or a parking lot to pick up trash he sees on the ground. We then added safety and germs into the equation, but to this day he will find a way to clean up any trash he sees. Now if only he can have the same mentality about his toys.

Our future is in our and our children’s hands.

I pulled out the atlas and told stories on how much we as humans depend on the earth and what we’ve slowly been doing to it. I showed them videos and graphs so they can really spot the damage of plastic visually. They get it within the larger context of taking care of our earth, so we’re off to a good start.

The challenge after that? Empower them to call me out on our plastic use.

Create a Star Chart for the Family

It took me a while to decide what each star would represent. I settled on a star for any time my kids recognize plastic and find a way to replace it or reuse it. We’ll see how that goes! 

Have Fun With It and Let Your Kids Take the Lead (They Are the Ones Who Will Think Outside of the Box)

Do you see plastic everywhere you go? Once you alert your brain to its prevalence, you can’t go back. I am currently typing on a plastic keyboard. My phone, easily the most essential tool to a parent’s day, is mostly plastic. 80% of my Tupperware is plastic, but they’re reusable so I give myself a pass on that. And last weekend, I discreetly walked through our apartment and threw any ridiculous little toys that are plastic into a donation bag. If I wait until they’re inevitably broken, they’ll just be trash. This way someone else can find joy in a dinosaur toy before their parent steps and breaks its leg. 

When we order takeout, I notice who uses recyclable materials and who overloads on the plastic and make notes for next time. Luckily, the challenge is made easier by our support systems with each other and also companies. Jinshisong, for instance, announced they’re moving to no plastic bags! We’ll have more information on that at a later time, but for now, I have to find more plastic to toss from around our home.

KEEP READING: Is Plastic Free Possible for Parents?

Photos: Unsplash

This Sunday (April 22) is Earth Day and here in Beijing, there will be a number of events to celebrate the day and demonstrate support for environmental protection. Here we list some of the upcoming family-friendly Earth Day events.

Earth Day Family Theatre | When All Was Green, Today (Apr 19)
Ages 5+. Take your little one to join Tong Playroom to learn more about this inspiring performance at Beijing 9 Theatre. When All Was Green is a non-verbal, award-winning puppetry performance inspired by the famous children book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Directly from Israel, The Key Theatre delivers a poignant reflection on nature’s generosity of spirit in spite of man’s greed. RMB 260-280. 7-9pm. Beijing 9 Theatre (WeChat: janiceinbj).

Save Our World Charity Spring Fair, Apr 21
All ages. Save the World is an event everyone cherishes as it celebrates Earth Day. This year, The Children’s House are focusing their attention on the protection of animals. They will be holding a fundraiser for Girls for Paws, an organization that rescues dogs and finds forever homes for them. The Save the Wold Charity Spring Fair promises to be super fun this year with a spring bazaar that includes vendors of organic and sustainable foods. Children can engage in fun arts and crafts projects, and there will be four lovely ponies that children can ride and feed. Free to attend. 9.30-11.30am. The Children’s House Oceanwide Campus. For more information about the event, visit this page.

Earth Day Cleanup at the Jiankou Great Wall, Apr 22
Ages 10+. The Great Wall on the west side of Jiankou has been somewhat spoiled by a buildup of trash and litter, left by lazy hikers and careless campers. In the spirit of Earth Day on April 22 and in order to give back to the communities in which they hike, Beijing Hikers are going to try and collect as much litter as they can and carry it out. Beijing Hikers are running this hike at cost and ask that everyone who joins helps out with the cleanup. RMB 150-200 (Depends on sponsorship and number of hikers. Price is the same for members.) Starts at 7.30am (meeting time). For more info and to book, visit this website. Beijing Hikers.

A Goodbye Party for Plastic Pollution, Apr 22
All ages. Join the Global Environmental Institute (GEI), Roots & Shoots, Live with Less, The Bookworm Beijing, and Beijing Field Studies for an afternoon party to bid goodbye to plastic pollution. This event will have games, craft making, competitions, and lots of learning for everyone. Each participant should bring an old t-shirt to the event for a special recycled craft activity. Free to attend. 1-4pm. For more information, email kendall@geichina.org or visit this page. The Bookworm Beijing.

Photos: Porapak Apichodilok via Pexels; courtesy of event organizers