Germany's REWE Group has announced it is to sell steel drinking straws in its straws, to replace 'unsustainable' plastic straws.
Plastic straws are used for only a few minutes and then thrown away, and can hundreds of years to break down. This is why why REWE has decided to find an ecological alternative.
As a first step, the retail group is introducing reusable drinking straws made of stainless steel, and plans to introduce alternative made of FSC certified paper in the coming months.
The remaining stock of plastic straws has been sold off, the retailer said.
A Global Problem
In Germany, around 4.8 billion plastic straws are thrown away every year. They are long-lasting in the environment and pose a great danger to wildlife.
Moreover, microplastic is increasingly becoming a global problem as it accumulates in organisms along the food chain.
REWE Aims
REWE said that is intensifying its commitment to the environment in all product areas.
Moreover, it plans to reduce the ecological impact of its private label packaging and to support the circular economy of the materials used.
In addition, Rewe has set itself the goal of making all private label packaging more environmentally friendly by the end of 2030.
The stainless steel drinking straws, which come in a pack of four with a cleaning brush, cost €3.99.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Jana Zimmermann. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
