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TED-Ed

How the bendy straw was invented | Moments of Vision 12 - Jessica Oreck

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Today, Americans use an estimated 500 million drinking straws every day. But where did the idea for this beloved utensil come from? In the twelfth installment of our ‘Moments of Vision’ series, Jessica Oreck shares the origins of the bendy straw.

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Additional Resources for you to Explore

Humans have been drinking out of tubes for thousands of years, but the straw as we know it a relatively recent invention. Before the paper straw Friedman used was invented, straws were made out of plant material. To avoid the grassy taste and shedding material of these straws, Marvin Chester Stone invented the paper straw. Learn more about the history of the drinking straw here.

Today, most drinking straws are plastic. Watch how plastic straws are made here

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

Educator
Jessica Oreck
Director
Jessica Oreck
Animator
Jessica Oreck
Composer
Eli Janney
Compositor
Nate Shaw
Associate Producer
Jessica Ruby
Content Producer
Gerta Xhelo
Editorial Producer
Alex Rosenthal
Narrator
Jessica Oreck

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