We’re an Australian owned and operated family business based in Gippsland, Victoria. My name is Glenn Dawson, and I am the founder of The Only Straw. My mission to create an eco-friendly drinking straw began a decade ago, on an Indonesian beachfront.

A responsible hotel owner
I owned and operated small beachfront hotels and restaurants in Lombok when the enormity of the plastic straw debacle arose. Our beaches were littered with used plastic straws that were harmful to the environment and to marine life on a world scale. I set about finding an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic straws. Straws that I could use in my hotels and restaurants and introduce to other hoteliers and restaurateurs.

In 2020 my passion to create the perfect drinking straw was realised. Gluten-free, vegan-friendly, all natural, zero waste rice flour and tapioca starch straws.

The Australian Government realisation
The harmful effects of plastics and micro plastics to our ecosystem is real and the Australian Government has now embraced the need to prohibit sales of single-use plastics, including drinking straws. As various states start to implement bans, we’re pleased to say The Only Straw is completely plastic free, safe and a great solution for your business.

Media mentions
As seen on 7 Sunrise… After being awarded a finalist in the 2020 Start-Up Gippsland program, we’ve hit the ground running and already stocked in multiple cafes and restaurant around the country.
We’ve also been spreading the word through the media. We have been featured on the “Off the Bench” podcast with Kerryn Vaughan and Channel 7’s Sunrise “Plugapalooza” segment.

“Every day on the islands thousands of straws washed up and littered the beaches with something we couldn’t dispose of or reuse.”

“Every day on the islands thousands of straws washed up and littered the beaches with something we couldn’t dispose of or reuse.”

“Every day on the islands thousands of straws washed up and littered the beaches with something we couldn’t dispose of or reuse.”

Some frequently asked questions

Our straws are made from rice flour and tapioca starch.

Our straws come in 6mm, 8mm and 12mm diameters x 200mm to 210mm long.

The rice flour straw has the robustness of a plastic straw yet is zero waste once broken down.

Our straws will break down in any environment, faster breakdown will occur in inclement rain conditions (usually within a week) and in a dry environment (within three months). They are also compostable, will break down very quickly in waterways or the ocean and can be put in landfill or compost areas with a zero-waste footprint.

They are gluten free, vegan friendly and all natural ingredients containing no soy or traces of nuts.

Yes, they will last for over an hour in a drink, juice or shake. After this, they will go soft and bend, but will not fall apart like a paper straw.

We don’t recommend using straws in hot drinks as you may get burnt, however they will last in a warm drink.

The most eco-friendly straw we have to choose from as they do not contain any micro plastics and are completely zero waste.

Yes, they do. All colours are made from natural vegetables such as red (beetroot), yellow (turmeric), green (spinach), and black (sesame). However the straws have no taste.

Yes, the date of expiry is 2 years from manufacture date, storing in a dry stock room is fine as you would any flour-based products.

Paper straws are of course a step in the right direction; however, they use large amounts of energy and trees to produce the paper and lots of harmful glues and dyes to make paper straws. Our straws are extruded through a machine only requiring minimal energy usage and last four to five times longer in a drink than a paper straw.

They are produced exclusively for us in Vietnam, ethically sourced, with all health and safety certificates required. The straws have been tested and have licencing and certificates for ISO22,000, HACCP and FDA International approval.

In the unlikely event that you receive any poorly manufactured straws or straws broken during shipping, we’ll gladly replace them.

Yes, white label and branding is available with an extra cost to be determined.