Meet Our Makers... Supporting a Young Entrepreneur in Bali: Bamboo Straws

Meet Putu Agus Widiasa, a teenager with a passion for the environment.

At the age of 15, Putu approached his parents with the idea of making bamboo straws to replace the plastic ones which cause so much environmental damage.

When Putu finished High School he was encouraged him to attend college for a year and he learned some English and computer skills to help him set up his bamboo straw business. This business as grown to encompass his family and local community.

The little business creates income for a number of neighbours and relatives who make the straws at home, and the cloth bags the straws are presented in and made by the poorest women in the village.

How is the bamboo harvested? Using land growing bamboo and owned by his family family, Putu and his father hire a truck and spend a day cutting bamboo. The bamboo is then brought home to dry in the sun for a month. He then cuts the long rods to size dries them for a further two days, then cleans and packages them for sale.

It’s not all work and no play for Putu. In his spare time he enjoys performing classical Balinese dance and has an interest in food and nutrition.

Six Degrees is now selling Putu’s 20cm straws in packs of 2 and 5. Grab yours today and make a statement without saying a word.