Evanesce to release 7.5 million compostable drinking straws in US first 

US serviceware producer Evanesce will begin producing the first 7.5 million drinking straws made from Biodolomer, a limestone-based compostable material developed and manufactured in Sweden by Gaia Biomaterials.

“The US market is 500 million straws — per day, and we offer a material that gives the feeling that customers want. The potential is enormous,” says Gaia Biomaterials CEO Peter Stenström.

He tells Packaging Insights the material does not create microplastics and produces significantly lower CO2 emissions.

“We offer a compostable material that gives the customer the experience and feeling they want from a drinking straw. And no taste of paper.”

Evanesce is focusing on introducing non-plastic alternatives to the F&B tableware industry in the US. At the company’s South Carolina production facility, extensive trials have been conducted with Biodolomer. 

Biodolomer is certified for industrial composting by both BPI in the US and DinCertco in Europe and has received FDA authorization for the safe use of food-contact substances. The material is a compound of a biodegradable aliphatic-aromatic copolyester, minerals and plant-based oils.

“There is a strong demand from consumers and brands for affordable, sustainable solutions,” says Douglas Horne, CEO of Evanesce. “Out of the materials we have tested, Biodolomer is the only one that has lived up to our quality expectations while also being a competitively priced premium product.”

According to the Annual International Coastal Cleanup Reports, US consumers use an estimated 500 million plastic straws every day. This is enough to fill more than 127 school buses each day, or over 46,400 per year.

“We are convinced that the new straws will make even more companies choose a solution that allows their customers to enjoy their favorite beverages without being left with a bad aftertaste in their mouth, both literally and figuratively,” concludes Peter Stenström.

“We currently have good capacity but rapid expansion will take place in the next few years.”