The Advantages of Luseke Grass
We can’t stop to enthuse about the versatile Luseke Grass ! It is growing all year long and can be harvested after short periods. Therefore, our farmers can sell several batches of Luseke every year, making it a very attractive crop for them. It is a plant endemic to our nature, which means that it belongs to the Ugandan ecosystem. But the best thing about Luseke Grass is that it is naturally hollow shaped, which makes it the best choice for our natural and compostable drinking straws!
Our products
• Reusable drinking straws (3 pieces plus cleaning brush) at 6,000 UGX / 1.5 Euros
Made from locally grown Luseke Grass and reusable up to 25 times. Every pack of 3 pieces
includes a cleaning brush. Ideal for the use at home. Every straw is handcrafted and carefully
sanitized without chemicals, which makes them healthy for you and healthy for the planet, as they
can be easily composted.
• Reusable drinking straws (25 pieces plus cleaning brush) at 25,000 UGX / 6.5 Euros
You can’t get enough of our straws – we have the solution! Buy our 25 pieces pack to save money and have a little stock at home to use any time. This can help for any surprise visits of your friends and family. Whatever the occasion, our 25 pieces pack is there to the rescue.
• Disposable drinking straws (3 pieces) at 3,600 UGX / 1 Euro
Made from a different species of Luseke Grass, especially for the single use. The big advantage in comparison to single use plastic straws is that the Ouroots Africa disposable straw is compostable, therefore it can be disposed in the organic waste. An excellent opportunity for hotels and restaurants to reduce plastic waste!
• Disposable drinking straws (25 pieces) at 12,500 UGX / 3.25 Euros
Are you curious about our disposable straws? This pack is your chance to try them out – but believe us, once you go natural you will never want to go back.
• Stirrers for Cocktails/Coffee/Tea (50 pieces) at 12,500 UGX / 3.25 Euros
Our Stirrers for your favorite beverage are crafted out of the cutoffs from our raw materials. Like this, we make sure that nothing goes to waste. This is a sustainable alternative for all your mixer/stirrer needs.
Our world has a problem, it's called plastic.
Plastic can be found everywhere, from the deepest ocean to the highest mountain, in the polar zones as
well as in every desert and beach. Slowly, society starts to react: plastic bags get banned in cities
or even whole countries like Rwanda, the European Union voted to abolish single use plastics until 2021
and from this year on, Starbucks won’t use any more plastic drinking straws.
We think that these measures are a step in the right direction, but also propose a more holistic approach
as a prohibition without alternatives does not stop demand.
Our Solution
Ouroots Africa is a social enterprise working on making the world a better place by providing natural
and sustainable alternatives to single use plastics. We are tackling the plastic challenge from the
root of the problem: production. All our products are grown from local plants, harvested and crafted
by local women farmers and compostable.
Our inspiration lies in the past as well as in the future – by coming back to the natural products
our grandparents used, we can provide a brighter and cleaner future for our children. That’s why we
go back to the roots!
Introducing the new cash crop to rural women farmers.
The Luseke straw together with other grown products had been forgotten until now when we need them the most as the best alternatives to plastic .Since farmers have not been growing it, we are currently going to different bushes, farms and gardens scouting and collecting these magical plants. We can introduce new cash crops to rural farmers that take short harvest periods, grows all year around. The The Luseke straw is an entirely natural product and naturally hollow shaped, through its production process to after its use, it is a 100% biodegradable and compostable. The sanitizing process requires steaming of a 100°C and does not include any chemicals.
Upholding the Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 15: Life On Land
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
SDG14 Life Below Water
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Women and girls, everywhere, must have equal rights and opportunity, and be able to live free of violence and discrimination.
SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth
Promote sustained economic growth, higher levels of productivity and technological innovation by encouraging entrepreneurship and job creation.
SDG 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
This goal is about promoting resource and energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, and providing access to basic services, green and decent jobs and a better quality of life for all.