A Vietnamese man is fighting plastic pollution with straws made entirely from wild grass.

Tran Minh Tien harvests sedge grass, or Lepironia articulata, from the wet fields of the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam.

The environmentalist then hollows out the insides of the long, stiff grass with a metal rod before chopping each stalk into 20cm long pieces.

Orders are now mounting for the fully biodegradable and re-useable straws as millions of people around the world become aware of the devastating effect of plastic pollution on marine life.

Tran said: ‘’The eco drinking straws are not expensive and there is no damage done to the planet. The grass is in abundance and grows back quickly.

‘’Plastic straws can cause serious problems for wildlife but there is no need to use them when there are so many alternatives.’’

Tran sells his grass straws for around three pence each but they are just three pence each when bulk orders of at least 500 pieces.

After the grass is collected, they are washed, and then neatly cut into 20cm tubes. The straws are carefully rinsed a second time, and then packaged into bundles using banana leaves - which are usually a waste product from the fruit being harvested.

Freshly cut straws can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks and in room temperature for up to a week, if not in use.

While the dried version of straws - which have been left out in the sun to dry, and then baked in an oven - can be stored in the refrigerator for up to six months.