
our story
Oh hey, welcome — so happy you’re here.
We’re Jamie-Lee and Lennart, the couple behind theotherstraw.
With 8 million tons of plastic being dumped into our oceans every year, our marine life is swallowing more plastic than ever before.
Our journey started in 2018. We were fed up with the amount of plastic straws polluting our local beaches.
Plastic straws are one of the most picked up items during beach cleanups. They take hundreds, sometimes thousands of years to actually break down.Â
So, we decided to do something about it and theotherstraw was born.
theotherstraw serves as a symbol to everything people can do in their everyday life to live a less wasteful lifestyle.
Since launching late 2018, we've kept over 43 million plastic straws from entering our oceans and landfills. We offer wholesale bamboo straws and partnered with some of Australia's biggest brands, hotel chains and festivals to help them go plastic-free.
To further our impact, we expanded our bamboo range in 2019. We introduced other ethical, reusable items to help people live more sustainably. Â
our mission
our vision
Â
our planet goes first, alwaysÂ
We never compromise and we don't take shortcuts.
Our planet is at the top of our agenda. We use plants to make our products, we send zero waste to landfill and have achieved carbon neutrality. You know, like how all things should be.Â
we're carbon neutral Â
We're a 100% carbon neutral business and all of our carbon is cancelled — from raw materials to the delivery to your doorstep. We've partnered with Carbon Neutral Australia, and with them, we are restoring forests and regenerating empty lands across Australia.Â
Being carbon-neutral is a great start, but there is more that needs to be done. We've realised that reducing our emissions to zero is not enough. For this reason, we are committed to being climate positive by 2025.
why bamboo
â—‹Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world, in the right conditions bamboo can grow up to 1 meter in a single day.
â—‹Bamboo absorbs greenhouse gases.
â—‹Bamboo can help stop global warming. It absorbs carbon dioxide and releases up to 35% more oxygen than trees.
â—‹Nearly zero waste! After our bamboo is harvested, nearly every part of the bamboo plant is used to create some sort of sustainable production. From enriching mulch to furniture to straws, bamboo is one of the most utilised plants in the world.
â—‹Bamboo is grown organically. Unlike other crops, bamboo requires no fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals to help it grow.
â—‹Bamboo can help stop deforestation. Nearly 1 million acres of forest are destroyed each week around the world to deforestation. Bamboo is a great substitute for timber and has the potential to protect millions of trees around the world.
Â
our promise to you — and the Planet

ethically made products
Our bamboo straws are ethically handcrafted in Northern Vietnam. Fair wages are paid in a happy, safe setting. You know, like how all things should be.

giving back
Donating our sales $ to grassroots environmental groups. These groups are protecting our marine life and removing plastic from our oceans.

zero waste
All of our products and packaging are compostable and/or recyclable, meaning that there's no waste and nothing goes to landfill.
our farms

ethical sourcing
There are a lot of amazing people behind our straws. Whether they are harvesting our bamboo, or sewing our straw pouches, they all play a significant part of our business. We're responsible to make sure they are safe, healthy, provided with fair working conditions and fair wages — like it should be.

farm locations
We have two farms in Vietnam. Our first farm is 60km outside of Hanoi and our second farm is in the beautiful Quảng Bình Province. Both our farms are run by local families who provide sustainable job opportunities for both women and men in their local villages.

why Vietnam
Vietnam has a tropical climate with high temperatures and humidity, ideal for growing bamboo. Vietnamese have been using bamboo for a long time. They use it for just about everything, from building houses to household equipment such as tables, chairs and lamps.

We are 1% For The Planet members as we want to further boost our support and love for our natural environments and oceans - something so important to us. As part of our pledge, we donate at least 1% of our annual revenue to grassroots environmental groups. These groups are out there working to preserve our natural wonders in the world and driving positive change.Â
get to know us
In 2019, we were featured on the Urban List through through our involvement in the ING Dreamstarter campaign. Want to know a little bit more about us? Check out the video below.
our partners

