lifestyle

3 Ways Every Malaysian Can Reduce Plastic Waste When Drinking Bubble Tea

Don't use single-use plastic for a five minute drink.

Cover image via Christine Chan/Facebook

With SS15 becoming a renowned “Bubble Tea Street”, crowds have been leaving mountains of plastic cups in trash bins in the area

Since plastic cups are not biodegradable, most of them end up in oceans and cause severe harm to animals as they mistake the plastic for food.

A photo that went viral recently shows the damage left behind by the bubble tea craze, where a construction waste bin was filled with bubble tea cups of all brands.

Here are three ways we can do our part in cutting down single-use plastic when consuming bubble tea:

Tip 1: Bring your own metal straw

Start by saying no to plastic straws by bringing your own straw.

You can purchase your own metal straw on Lazada, Shopee, and other platforms.

In addition to metal straws, you can also get glass, silicone, or rice-based straws!

Tip 2: Opt for strawless lids when available

These lids are commonly found when ordering certain KOI drinks. Hopefully these lids will become more common as the plastic straw ban comes into effect in Selangor.

Tip 3: Bring a reusable cup

It's becoming a trend in Canada for people to bring their own bubble tea cups. Some people even claim to not buy boba if they don't have their cups with them.

Unlike a typical reusable cup or tumbler, a reusable bubble tea cup is made to imitate a plastic bubble tea cup - and sometimes in a more fashionable way.

Variation KL is one such store where Malaysians can get a reusable bubble tea cup.

Speaking to SAYS, the founders said the idea came about when they visited various bubble tea shops and counted how many plastic cups were used per day. The number was an astonishing 60,000 cups per day!

The product comes with a glass cup, a metal lid, a metal straw (big enough to fit the pearls), and a straw cleaner for the price of RM65.

What can Malaysians and bubble tea shops do to reduce plastic waste? Let us know in the comments section!

Read more #SAYStheearth stories SAYS:

You may be interested in: