There was a time when the green-living movement popularized the use of stainless steel straws among office workers, civil servants and people concerned about waste. However, carrying such items is quite cumbersome, not to mention that having to wash them makes many people 'lazy'.

Glass straws are very fragile, stainless steel ones can tarnish, and if you drink milk tea topped with egg cream or cheese foam, cleaning them is far from a simple 'just turn on the tap and you're done!'.

So the best way to avoid having to fuss over washing these little items is simply not to use them. I'm not an 'extremist' who says 'no' to disposable plastic products entirely, because that makes my mind tense if I slip up—so for small things like straws and plastic bags, I try not to use them so my brain doesn't have to think about the problems afterward.

I am truly grateful to my colleagues who, whenever they go for coffee with me, have accepted and gotten used to not using straws even though it is a bit odd and sometimes inconvenient for them. At first they did it out of love and to indulge me; later they did it out of habit; finally they joined me because colleagues elsewhere in the world are doing the same, and if it's something that can be done, then just do it. Moreover, this right thing is also being enthusiastically encouraged by many beloved family members.

I am truly grateful for that (though I cannot yet put it into words). It makes me feel personally even more committed!

[F173] Saying 'No' to single-use straws that are discarded without being sorted