University student to experiment with "reed" from Lake Biwa as a straw Shiga Kusatsu, January 8, 15:05
While reducing plastic waste is becoming a global issue, students at Ritsumeikan University in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture, will conduct a demonstration experiment using Biwako's `` Yoshi '' as a straw instead of a plastic straw. became.
The demonstration experiment will be conducted by Professor Taku Terawaki and 19 students who are studying environmental issues such as plastic waste at the Faculty of Economics, Ritsumeikan University.
Students are reducing plastic straws and looking at reeds from Lake Biwa as an alternative.
Reeds nearly 3 meters in height have hollow stalks of about 1 cm in diameter, and can be used as straws when boiled and disinfected after withering.
The students will make 400 straws of reed, about 20 cm long, and provide them to five convenience stores this month, including a convenience store in Shiga Prefectural Government and a cafe in Omihachiman.
For users, we also conduct questionnaires on usability and how much you pay if you pay, and collect data, and we will provide information to companies in the prefecture if it can be commercialized in the future.
According to Professor Terawaki, "I've heard that there are companies that are interested in Yoshi straw, so I'd like to work on using more people in the experiment and spreading it."