Major Japanese restaurant chain introducing bamboo straws to help reduce plastic and save forests

Jun 27, 2019 | News On Japan

Jun 27, 2019 (Japan Today) - Japan has been getting more into the reduction of single-use plastics recently and major izakaya (Japanese pub) chain Watami is gearing up for a big change to follow suit. Starting on Thursday, they will be eliminating plastic straws from their inventory, but more interesting is what they are replacing them with.

Dubbed the Take Straw, meaning â€œbamboo straw,â€ these tubes are primarily produced with bamboo fiber. This makes them completely biodegradable in a matter of months and even safe if accidentally ingested.

While thatâ€™s all great, itâ€™s actually just one of the ways Take Straws are helping the environment. In addition to reducing waste, theyâ€™re also helping to wipe out the scourge of bamboo groves.

Because theyâ€™re so serenely pretty and make great backdrops for samurai battles, it might come as a surprise that bamboo groves are actually a growing problem. When properly maintained, clusters of the tall plants are delightful natural landscapes, but when left to their own devices, these fast growing stalks can overtake and choke off other plant life.

Not only that, but their shallow roots disrupt soil, making landslides a potential problem during times of earthquakes and heavy rains.

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