With the days of drinks being served with plastic straws numbered, a local company is hoping it has the solution to the single-use plastic crisis.

Lund London, which is based in Bearsted near Maidstone, has created a 'straw for life' which is made of stainless steel and is extendable.

It comes in 10 different colours and you can also get a matching case which means you can carry it round with you in your bag and use it when out and about.

Today, the government confirmed that plastic straws, drink stirrers and cotton buds will be banned in England from April next year.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove says their consultation shows there's been "overwhelming" public support for the plans, which first came about after David Attenborough's TV documentary Blue Planet II raised awareness of the sheer scale of plastic pollution in our oceans.

The move has been welcomed by environmental groups like Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth.

Those who need to use plastic straws for medical reasons will still be able to access them, but they won't be automatically handed out in food and drink outlets.

Plastic-stemmed cotton buds will also still be available for scientific use.

Lund London will be hoping to cash in on the changes with their creation, which they say has a unique telescopic design and easy clean silicon tip.

Nick Rands is an account manager at the company and says, "It's no coincidence that 'single-use' was the word of the year last year - everyone is really understanding the impact that we're having on the environment at the moment and everyone is seeking little ways that they can have a positive environment impact.

"There's no plastic in the straw for life, instead it's stainless steel which is reusable and dishwasher-safe, so you can take it round with you and avoid those pesky plastics.

"There's been a lot of backlash against paper straws where the go soggy and customers don't really like them, so we take a stand against that as well and give a product that's both practical and environmentally friendly.

"Following on from the bag for life and the huge reusable water bottle market I think straws are the next step.

Lund London also make reusable drinks bottles and are also working to create other items to help tackle the issue of plastic ending up in the sea.

"Our next project is these bamboo lunch boxes - bamboo is the fastest self-regenerating material on the planet so it's really good for the environment as opposed to when you go in and buy and meal deal with all the single-use plastics that the food is encompassed in.

"We're bringing out these later on in the year as well to try and encourage people to get rid of the plastic packaging and take food around with them.

"If everyone can take these little steps to cut out their single-use plastic it can have a huge impact on the environment in a really positive way."

The resuable straws will be available in June.

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