It was seeing first hand the impact single use plastics could have on her local area, the Yorkshire Dales, that set engineer Charlotte Walsh thinking about how she could use her 15 years of manufacturing experience to make being greener that bit easier for families. The result was The Silicone Straw Company, which is one of six companies shortlisted in this year’s Gift of The Year Ethical & Sustainable category.
“Three years ago, my mission was simple – to create convenient alternatives to single-use plastic items,” Charlotte explains, “with our products designed and made in the UK using the highest quality food-grade silicone.”
Having spent many sunny days picnicking and paddling in the river in Grassington with her family, Charlotte points out: “sometimes the aftermath wasn’t always so picturesque, as plastic bottles, coffee cups, sandwich wrappers and plastic straws wash downstream. Therefore, for me, it was about creating products that allowed people to do the right thing without noticing, and even better, if the result was a better experience than people were used to.”
She hopes that putting the user experience first will result in better quality sustainable products which will have a greater overall benefit for the planet in the long run. “Taking this approach has served The Silicone Straw Company well,” she confirms. “After months of design, the company started small with a single batch of reusable straws which quickly sold to Booths supermarkets allowing me to extend the range. We now offer a full rainbow of straws and travel tins so that customers can easily take their straws out and about with them.”
The fledgling company has gone from strength to strength since its launch in 2020, saving around 2m single use straws from being sent to landfill, illustrating the benefit of reuse over recycling.
“Every supply chain has an impact on the planet, and small value items like this are often shipped half-way around the world to be used once and then thrown away,” Charlotte continues. “Buying something that can be used over and over again therefore multiplies the benefit many times over.”
