3rd January Drinking Straw Day

January 3rd commemorates the date in 1888 that Marvin C. Stone received the patent for the paper drinking straw. Since then, a variety of drinking straws are used.

It is believed the Sumerians used the very first drinking straws for drinking beer. Archeologists speculate they used the straws to avoid the solid byproducts of fermentation that would have sunk to the bottom.  The oldest drinking straw known to be in existence was found in a Sumerian tomb dated 3000 B.C. This found straw was a gold tube inlaid with a precious blue stone.

Today, manufacturers make a variety of reusable straws. From stainless steel and glass to bamboo and silicone, they not only save money and the environment, but they are also fun to use.  They come in a variety of creative shapes and colours. 

If Marvin Stone were alive today, he might be shocked to know of the five large areas of the ocean, called gyres, where plastic garbage collects, including straws. This causes harm to marine life in many ways.

Americans use 500 million drinking straws daily so I'm sure Australians use a lot too. It might be better if we celebrated National Skip the Straw Day which is on the fourth Friday in February. This day is about thinking of alternatives to drinking through a straw or better still not using straws!

When looking for picture books featuring drinking straws then, it won't surprise you to know that most of them feature the plastic pollution problem, rather than highlight what they used to be used for.

• The best 'straw' book is Straw by the talented duo Amy Krause Rosenthal and Scott Magoon.

 

Straw has always had a great thirst for being first, slurping up anything in sight and 

rushing in to finish.

•  There's a science  book by Vicki Cobb

Just how do straws work? Learn all about physics and the effect of air 

pressure on liquids.

• Then there are books that look at straws as causes of water pollution.

Sippy, a plastic straw who was used once and then discarded, 

worries what will happen to him when he realises he can't be 

recycled. As he flies, floats, and flutters around the planet, 

he meets animals who are struggling with the plastic problem.

In the waters off of Costa Rica, scientists spot an endangered sea 

turtle and pull him aboard to study him. But he has something

 stuck in his nose. A barnacle? A stick? No...it's a plastic straw! 

 'This book will plant the seeds of environmental activism in young 

 readers.' (Kirkus)

 You'll hear about the "Be Straw Free" campaign, started by 

 nine-year-old Milo Cress. 

• And coming in February, watch out for this:

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Learn how and why a useful, 5000-year-old invention has become a 

 threat to our planet and what you can do about it--in this history of 

the simple straw.

This is also a good day to link back to the UN Sustainability Goals as 

this one connects to UN SDG Goal 14. You might also like to watch 

this TED talk where nine-year old Molly Steer talks about how many 

straws we use in Australia.