FAQ Grass Straws

Thanks for coming to the official “Tinh bot xanh” website, we are so glad you are here with us!

As selling eco-friendly products websites (biodegradable straws specifically), it is our responsibility to provide customers with such practical information about those.

For our first FAQ post, we would love to inform knowledge about “Grass Straws”. We have worked on it seriously with the hope that you will find this article helpful. If your inquiry is not in the list below feel free to contact us via [info@tinhbotxanh.com], we will answer your question in a timely manner!

Below are questions we will respond to in this post, make sure you check the whole thing carefully.

1. What is Grass Straw?
2. What size is a regular Grass straw?
3. How Grass Straw is made?
4. What can I use Grass straw for?
5. How many types of Grass Straw are there?
6. How to choose Grass Straw?
7. How to clean Grass Straw?
8. What are the advantages/Benefits of Grass Straw?
9. How to preserve the Grass Straw?
10. How much are Grass straws?
11. Where can I buy Grass straws?

1. What is Grass Straw?

Dealing with such an environmental pollution situation, many manufacturing facilities start to produce various kinds of biodegradable products. Grass straw is one of them. They are 100% made from nature. There are some kinds of grasses that are planted only for this specific purpose, such as Lepironia plant or sedge grass.

For a long time ago, this kind of grass is usually the main material to make handicrafts or roofs in the Mekong Delta. However, after the United Nations (UN) predicts that Asean areas will take responsibility for more than 10% of the plastic crisis in the whole world.

Besides some implements that have been issued about this problem, making straws from Lepironia grass has made a trend for most straw production companies.

We can say that grass straw not only helps reduce pollutants for the environment but also strengthens the economy.

2. What size is a regular grass straw?

Not like plastic straws, grass straw mostly has one size only. They are usually about 18-20 cm in length, inner diameter approximately 4,5 – 8 mm and thickness around 0,5 – 0,8mm (depending on different manufacture factories).

With these figures, customers can use grass straws for almost every type of beverage, but not for topping-drink.

3. How is grass straw made?

Following carefully 7 steps below to create a standard grass straw:

• Harvest the suitable materials which are grasses 1-1,5 years old, sturdy enough to make a standard straw.
• Cut it into straw-side-tube depend on various purpose
• Using an iron rod to clean the inner part of a straw
• Washing it with saltwater
• Sun drying
• Put it into a straw oven baking. In this step we have 2 stages:
  • Stage 1: Dried with low temperature (about 45-50 C degree)
  • Stage 2: Dried with high temperature to eliminate all left bacterias
• Finally, check and Packed. Packed those into a paper box and preserve it in dry condition.

To get more details about the process you can check out this link: https://tinhbotxanh.vn/cach-lam-ong-hut-co/

4. What can I use grass straw for?

You can use it as a normal plastic straw. It is all fine to use drinking hot or cold beverages. However grass straw’s diameter is only about 4,5 – 8 mm, not suitable for such a drink got hug topping.

Not just for drinking, grass straw may have other wonderful functions such as herbivore’s food, compostable material, packaging, and some creative products.

5. How many types of grass straws are there?

There are mainly 2 types of grass straws, fresh and dried.

• If it is to be sold fresh then, the manufacturer will skip step 6 (put it into the dryer machine). This kind of straw will be preserved by banana leaves.
• And with the dried ones, after placing it in paper box, they will be a bundle sale – approximately 100 pieces each box.

The only difference between the 2 versions is their durability. One -the dried- can be kept until 6 months, while the other is around 1-2 weeks depending on temperature condition.

6. How to choose grass straws?

As I mentioned above, the size of grass straws can be varied, customers need to carefully read all the printed parameters on the packaging, in case of buying a wrong-purpose-product.

Before using it, check the tip of each straw to make sure they are all preprocessed well, in the event of grinding step is missed out. And that can easily scratch your mouth.

Focus on the price, origin, and convenience before buying. You can refer some stores in this post to have a clear look about biodegradable straws market: [link top 10 stores selling biodegradable straws]

7. How to clean grass straws?

Both versions of grass straws are recommended one used only, but it doesn’t mean this kind of straws can’t be reused.

Straw cleaning brushes can become promotional items for customers by some companies. Dishwashers are quite convenient but are not recommended.

8. What are the advantages of grass straws?

• Have natural origin which is good for the environment
• Healthy safety – there are proofs showing not a single harmful chemicals used to produce such this kind of straw
• No colorings or bleaching
• Retaining the taste of the beverage
• Reducing plastic crisis rate
• Decomposing in short time
• Help our economy generally, and Mekong Delta’s citizen specific
• Affordable price

“Tinh bot xanh” also have a detailed post about the advantages of grass straw in https://tinhbotxanh.vn/en/top-5-reasons-to-use-biodegradable-grass-straws/

9. How to preserve the Grass Straw?

With the fresh one: According to the company’s instructions, it can be used up to 2 weeks (in the refrigerator; and 1 week with room temperature). But you can add extra time for it if you boiling straws with salted water then store them in a cool place – make sure they’re already dried.

With dried straw: Just remember to store them in a cool dry place to reach the maximum using period – 6 months.

If you wash it then reuse, check out it has to be fully dried before putting it anywhere. unless it can surely get mildew.

10. How much are grass straw?

Depending on which types and sizes of straw, the price from 600 Vnd to 1000 Vnd for each. And of course, if you buy a considerable number, there will be a lovely discount for a long-term partnership.

However, the price also is different for other countries based on shipping fees and VAT.

11. Where can I buy a grass straw?

Grass straw is now available in Vietnam and ASEAN religions as well. Below are some references you can check out:

• https://www.onghutco.com/ : They only ship domestically
• https://tinhbotxanh.vn: We do not only provide helpful information but also sell eco-friendly products. With us, you are helping local farms and economy as well as the environment.
• http://greenjoystraw.com/: This shop has branches in Saigon and Hanoi
• https://onghuttreviet.com/: This one has connected with Tiki and Lazada, you can also order products on those apps