Compostable drinking straws that don’t taste of paper
Swedish Bioplastics company Gaia Biomaterials has completed the development of a new and revolutionary compostable drinking straw material. The new material is stable, rigid, and heat resistant and allows for the manufacture of sustainable straws for all types of drinks.
The new material is a grade of the company's limestone based Biodolomer material. Biodolomer does not leave any microplastics and is certified compostable by BPI in the USA as well as European certification bodies.
The new grade has been developed with hot drinks, such as Irish Coffee and hot chocolate, in mind. It can handle temperatures over 80ºC without any substantial loss in rigidity and stability.
Several tests have been conducted with drinking straw manufacturers in Europe and the USA, and the results were so promising that the first full-scale production runs will take place in late May. The material works well in the machines, and the properties are according to expectations.
“Drinking straws have been an issue for many”, says Gaia Biomaterials CEO Peter Stenström. “According to many consumers, the degradable alternatives have simply not been good enough.”
“But soon you’ll be able to use straws again. With a clean conscience and without a distinct aftertaste of paper…”
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Peter Stenström
CEO
peter.stenstrom@gaiabiomaterials.com
+46 70-885 34 37
GAIA Biomaterials manufacture Biodolomer. A compostable material that has most of the qualities of plastic – but not the disadvantages.
It is compostable, very low in CO2 and leaves no micro plastics or plastic pollution. Biodolomer is used for a large number of applications and can be used with most production techniques used for plastic.
The company is based i Helsingborg, Sweden and has a number of Bioplastic patents. It was founded in 2015 by Åke Rosén, widely regarded as one of the world's leading packaging materials scientists over the decades.
