Single-use plastics are the epitome of throwaway culture, centered around convenience and profit at the expense of the environment. According to the NRDC, approximately half of the 300 million tons of plastic produced annually worldwide—nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population—are single-use items such as drinking straws, utensils, bags, and cups. For remedies to this short-sighted usage causing irrevocable damage, we might look to other cultures for alternatives that are far more sustainable—and defy reliance on the petrochemical industry.