Sarah Tiu, manager of Café Editha in Siargao Island in the Philippines decided to use ‘lukay’ drinking straws in an effort to reduce plastic waste in her restaurant.
Lukay is a local term for coconut or palm leaves.
The cafe owner said she was impressed with the idea of how coconut leaves were made into drinking straws during a family trip to Corregidor Island.
“We bought fresh buko (coconut) and they just cut lukay, then made it into straws. So we asked them to teach us [how to make them],” Ms Tiu told INQUIRER.net.
Ms Tiu tries to eliminate as much plastic in her restaurant as she can. She said they have tried eco-friendly alternatives such as paper straws and steel straws but the customers did not like them.
After mastering how to make her versions of the lukay straws, the 37-year-old manager has started using them in her restaurant.
With the help of her niece and nephew, they made a video demonstrating how to make lukay straws. Her aim is to raise awareness about eliminating plastic wastes and to promote creative ways to care for the environment.
She said each straw takes less than a couple of minutes to make and her café crew makes them every morning before they open.
