Danimer Scientific, a leading developer and manufacturer of biodegradable materials, and Eagle Beverage Products, a specialty beverage manufacture, announced they will product biodegradable drinking straws for the quick service restaurant (QSR) industry.
Eagle Beverage will manufacture the straws using Danimer Scientific’s proprietary biopolymer, Nodax™ polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). Tested by University of Georgia (UGA) researchers and the UGA New Materials Institute, PHA is made from sustainable materials, such as canola oil, to produce a proven biodegradable alternative to traditional petrochemical plastics. The straws will degrade in environments ranging from industrial composting facilities to home compost units and oceans without leaving behind microplastics.
The straws are expected to be available for Eagle Beverage’s QSR customers to purchase in early 2021. After launching the straws, Eagle Beverage plans to explore expanding its offerings to include compostable food containers, packaging and more.
Eagle Beverage Vice President Aisha Kabani said “By partnering with Danimer Scientific to produce a reliably biodegradable straw, we will provide a cost-effective solution for restaurants to deliver guilt-free beverage enjoyment to their customers. Petrochemical straws break down into harmful microplastics and never fully degrade, but these PHA straws will completely degrade in a matter of months.”
Source: Bioplasticmagazine
