{"id":49014,"date":"2017-10-11T07:45:45","date_gmt":"2017-10-11T07:45:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/?p=49014"},"modified":"2017-10-11T10:38:02","modified_gmt":"2017-10-11T10:38:02","slug":"bamboo-straws-we-care-collective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/bamboo-straws-we-care-collective\/","title":{"rendered":"Switching to Bamboo Straws – We talk to Claudia Hopkins from We Care Collective"},"content":{"rendered":"

Meet Claudia Hopkins, she\u2019s a woman on a mission. A mission to reduce single-use plastic impact and to keep our oceans clean, and that\u2019s something worth talking about. Claudia is the brains behind We Care Collective, a burgeoning business that is creating awareness around single-use plastics usage \u2013 specifically straws and providing an alternative through bamboo straws. We chat to Claudia to find out more about what she\u2019s getting up to.<\/p>\n

\"Bamboo<\/a><\/p>\n

Can you tell us a bit about We Care Collective?<\/h4>\n

We Care Collective is an inclusive and forward-thinking company that offers eco-friendly, sustainable products that are not only designed well, but also encourage you to feel like a hero for using them.<\/p>\n

Our community is made up of recyclers, reducetarians, ocean and nature lovers, conscious CEO\u2019s, concerned dads and moms, your above average Joe\u2019s, and everyone else who knows that the only way to keep on keeping on in this world, is through adopting a sustainable attitude.<\/p>\n

Can you tell us how you got started?<\/h4>\n

I always had a love for the beach\/ocean. My late mother raised us to be mindful of our environment and the effects that consumerism had on our planet.<\/p>\n

It really hit home when I went to Slide Night (held each December by Wavescape). Two Oceans Aquarium did a talk on rehabilitating turtles and the effect that plastic has on our oceans and marine life.\u00a0 They showed that\u00a0famous video of a straw being removed from a turtle\u2019s nostril<\/a> (Note: video is graphic with strong language) and I promised myself I would never use a plastic straw again.<\/p>\n

I went to Bali that same year and discovered bamboo straws and I knew that I had to create awareness and get people to think differently about single-use plastic.<\/p>\n

What is your vision for We Care Collective?<\/h4>\n

We Care Collective believes that doing your bit adds up to a lot. By offering practical solutions to everyday waste problems, living green is not only easier but feels awesome too. We are not all or nothing, instead, all or something. Everyone has their part to play.<\/p>\n

\"We-Care-Collective-Bamboo-Straws\"<\/div>
\"We-Care-Collective-Bamboo-Straws\"<\/div><\/div>\n

Why specifically have you taken on the cause of straws?<\/h4>\n

The main aim is single-use plastic in general, but I had to start somewhere! My aim is to grow my company and create as much awareness in every way possible.<\/p>\n

Refusing or keeping a reusable straw in one’s bag is a small and easy step that people can take but is one that will make a big change for the future.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Zero waste scares people, so I am trying a subtler approach by making it relevant and creating awareness.<\/p>\n

Can you tell us what impact plastic straws have on the environment?<\/h4>\n

Straws are used for a few minutes only and are then disposed of. An estimated 6 billion are used a day! They aren\u2019t recyclable and take over 200 years to decompose! They were invented in the 60s and are chemically made up (i.e. they contain BPA).<\/p>\n

Here’s a scary thought\u2026 every straw ever made still exists!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

They are the top 10 items found on beach cleanups and once they decompose, they turn into microplastics that enter our water systems and oceans. Marine life eat this and then land up on our plates to be consumed.<\/p>\n

Some staggering statistics about plastic straws<\/h4>\n