Our world isn’t getting any better. Billions of plastic can be found in our oceans and studies show that around 100,000 marine animals are killed annually just because of plastic pollution alone. This doesn’t only affect bodies of water, though. Landfills have unimaginable amounts of waste that take such a long time to decompose. As people start to become more and more aware of the dangers of using non-biodegradable materials, there has been a recent increase in a call to switch to either metal, paper, glass, or bamboo materials.
Starting small, we’ve already switched to reusable eco bags and just recently, we found the best place to get steel straws at an affordable price – one that DOES NOT sell their items in a PLASTIC PACKAGING. We know you’ll probably ask us about the controversies on nickel mining and our firsthand experience in using this as well, so we’re listing five reasons on why ChartReuseMNL [SHAR-TROOZE] is the right shop to visit:
1. Their cause goes beyond helping the environment
Black stainless steel straw set in an eco-friendly bag.
Aside from every plastic straw that we skip from using in order to save the environment, proceeds of every purchase at ChartReuseMNL also help a real person’s fight against sickness. The business is quite new but ChartReuseMNL owner Camille Cabatu (a millennial!) is already planning to go beyond promoting zero-waste lifestyle and her current cause by coordinating with a local organization to help a few kids to go to school in the future as well.
“I really believe in education and how this could help alleviate our problems in the environment and the country in general,” shares Camille.
2. Steel straws are being sold for a minimal profit
Gold and black variants
For only P65, you can already get a bent straw or a straight straw with a brush. If you’re planning to use straws just for your weekly milk tea fix, you can get one for only P85. They also offer a silver set for only P199, inclusive of a bent straw, a straight straw, and a milk tea straw that has passed people’s sago-bility test (ability to pass milk tea pearls through without getting stuck). Unlike shops that only sell these for the sake of joining the hype, ChartReuseMNL is taking its cause seriously by putting the items in an eco-friendly packaging. No plastics involved!
Stylish straws are also sold in different colors – gold, black, copper, and rainbow.
3. Straws are made from SAFE food-grade stainless steel
There are viral posts about how stainless steel straws are bad for our health and the environment due to nickel mining, but those posts are not entirely true. Camille consulted Chemical Engineers regarding the matter in order to ensure the quality of products at ChartReuseMNL.
You might have seen this post before, but let’s see what makes ChartReuseMNL rise above it all.
“First point is that steel straws do not necessarily contain nickel. Some suppliers use nichromium to add lustre to the steel straws but again, not all reusable straws contain nickel. My supplier uses food-grade stainless steel, which is an alloy – a combination of different metals – that is FDA approved,” she explains. “Second point is that nickel mining does not necessarily have to be acquired through open pit mining. The photo that was presented in the viral post is COPPER MINING, as we can see the reddish portion on the soil. This poses a very big problem as it does not just misinform people, more so, it ruins small businesses whose aim is to help raise awareness. The said post actually does the opposite.”
4. They have more eco-friendly items coming up!
ChartReuseMNL is currently focusing on straws for now, but do watch for more sustainable products in the future.
“We actually started with just silver straws and then we expanded with the colored ones. Soon, we might be releasing tumblers (with a twist!) and reusable bags as well,” she adds. “We don’t put logos in our products so that it’s also reseller-friendly. They can start up their own brand, especially since the objective really is to help raise awareness on the small steps we could do to lessen waste.”
(Please excuse the plastic cup. Forgot my tumbler. Then again, little steps. Little steps.)
5. Millennials supporting millennials
Camille is a millennial entrepreneur who runs ChartReuseMNL as a side job to support her family and eventually branch out to more of her advocacies as the business expands. I’ve known her personally during college days so trust that there’s no BS in what we’ve listed above. After all, I trust millennials more than sketchy profit-seeking people who use environmental causes as a front to drive income just for personal use.
Silver stainless steel straws (Photo from ChartReuseMNL)
Now, you might be thinking why not go for other alternatives? Bamboo and paper straws leave a weird paper-like taste in our drink and paper straws tend to go soggy after some time. Using glass straws, on the other hand, can be quite risky since it’s prone to cracks when not stored properly. Yup, stainless steel straws are a clear winner for us.
The Manila Millennial team already got sets, so do let us know if you also got yours. Here’s to making a litter-free world possible! For instant updates on our latest finds within the Metro, follow Manila Millennial on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. To know more about ChartReuseMNL, visit:
Facebook: ChartReuse
Instagram: @chartreusemnl
For orders: goo.gl/forms/G8a42LEPLoMwYihy2