Meet The M’sian Students Who Came Up With The Wearable-Reusable Straw Idea Before Starbucks Did

By Charmaine Shaharin  •  in News
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(source: virgoweirdo at Twitter)

If global warming and pollution have taught us anything, it is definitely that we are at the end of the era of using plastic straws and are now progressing to something more eco-friendlier and reusable. Recently, a group of final year students from UiTM Tapah had come up with an innovative reusable straw idea that’s colourful and wearable for UITM’s Business Innovation Competition (BICE). 

JUICE spoke to 21-year-old, Felix, the leader of the group who explained their mission for the product. 

Named Midguard, the group of 6 members shared the same vision to create products that could help the environment in the future.

Felix explained that plastic straws were still a huge problem although many companies have tried to introduce alternatives like metal and paper straws.

However, Felix and his group were ready to set the bar higher and created a colourful straw that could be worn around your wrist with the purpose of turning the trend into a movement and coincidentally enough, Starbucks later on released their own version of reusable straws with multiple pastel colours. 

Speaking to JUICE, Felix said that he was proud that Starbucks had the same idea but also disappointed that he and his group did not pursue their idea beyond the university’s competition as it could have been a sell-out hit. He also stated that he contacted his ex-team members to discuss what they can do to continue on this idea.

The difference between Midguard’s straw and Starbucks’ straw is that the group’s straw has a metal bracket which connects between the ends of the silicone straws. In addition, the metal bracket could also be engraved so there is the customisation option. 

When asked about what could be improved, Felix simply said that the only issue was hygiene.

“As much as it’s a good idea to have a reusable straw that’s wearable, sometimes we aren’t aware when we sweat and unknowingly touch random surfaces. This could lead to hygiene issues,” he said.

Either way, we personally think that this idea is a great way to save the environment while staying fashionable and spreading the word at the same time.

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