September 2023 holds special significance as Government of India has granted patent to the Botanical Survey of India for their innovative creation of reusable straw using this particular Bamboo species.
Bamboo straw making
These are medium sized bamboos, growing upto 10 m tall, tip of crown arching or sometimes dropping down and some are bushy. These are called stragglers. This particular bamboo species is confined to North Andaman.
The sections of bamboo stem (culm) are cut to required length followed by removal of the outer sheath and solid nodes of bamboo to obtain eco-friendly bamboo straws.
Journey of Reusable straws
This bamboo species (Schizostachyum andamanicum) was first discovered three decades ago. The journey towards reusable straw commensed in 2011 by the pioneering effort of Dr. Lal Ji Singh, the regional head and scientist at BSI's regional centre in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He started the project at Dhanikari experimental garden and arboretum, a regional centre of BSI.
The remarkable resemblance between bamboo's culm internodes and modern drinking straws is the driving force behind this innovation. After filing the patent application in 2018, the patent was finally granted in September 2023.
This new innovation is a great approach to replace plastic straws with sustainable organic alternatives.
Significant advantages
1) Bamboo straws are not only reusable but also are easily decomposable and environmentally friendly.
2) They enable expansion of bamboo cultivation for commercial purposes to local island farmers contributing to their income.
3) Moreover, the production cost are considerably lower only 50 paise per piece making them more economical alternative to plastic straw and paper straw as well, since paper straws are approximately ten times more costlier than plastic straws.
Apart from these advantages,
Bamboo is extensively used in Andaman and Nicobar Islands for several reasons, like construction, traditional crafts (baskets, utensils, and furniture) and also for constructing fishing traps and baskets.
Hence,
Bamboo is a sustainable resource and and eco friendly alternative making it an attractive choice for various purposes while reducing the impact on environment.
