At Friendly Straw, we understand that disposables are just the tip of the iceberg of the sustainability problem. As a young and small brand, we cannot make an immediate impact that will make a difference, so we decided to donate 10% of our gross profit to an NGO that shares the same values. Starting April 1st, 2021, proceeds from Friendly Straw will go to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS), a non-profit marine conservation organization based in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, Washington, in the United States. Sea Shepherd intends to fight (literally) to defend, conserve and protect our ocean. The organization, among other things, travels around the world in their gunship, stopping illegal exploitation and environmental destruction from excessive industrial fishing.

Learn more about the Sea Shepherd.
https://seashepherd.org/our-mission/

Why Sea Shepherd?

In short, it turns out marine vegetation, coral reefs, and other marine plantations absorb way more CO2 per square foot than forestation. The industrialization of fishing and the capacity to fish more efficiently than ever before leads to overfishing, which destroys the source of food for marine vegetation. Consequently, as overfishing grows, fishing enterprises have had to travel further into the ocean than before, often in areas prohibited from fishing, turning it into a global issue. To make matters worse many ships employ a destructive form of fishing called bottom trawling, which leaves a scar on the seabed as it passes through and ensnares by catch in the process. These areas where government enforcement is lacking is where Sea Shepherd comes in.