SIG’s paper straw rolls out in Europe as Single-Use Plastics Ban draws closer

18 Jun 2020 --- SIG’s fully recyclable 6 mm paper straw for aseptic carton packs is being launched for the first time in Europe by French retailer chain Intermarché. The supermarket will be offering the Paquito, Look and top Budget beverage brands in SIG’s combiblocMini packs. With the European Single-Use Plastics Ban looming on the horizon, the switch from plastic to paper straws is projected to save ten metric tons of virgin plastic per year.

“The paper straw was developed as a solution to tackle the problem of plastic waste and marine litter, not primarily to reduce the carbon footprint. Independent Life-Cycle Analyses (LCAs) have shown that impacts are mainly driven by the amount and type of raw material used for a product. As the straw itself has a weight of only about 0.5 g and is made from the renewable raw material wood, we don’t expect any significant LCA impact for the packaged product,” Zi Wang, Global Product Manager at SIG, tells PackagingInsights.

Nevertheless, SIG has started the process of creating an LCA data set with its suppliers via an external LCA partner to conduct an LCA calculation, Wang adds. 

The SIG straws consist of paper sourced from FSC-certified forests, mainly located in Sweden, Chile and Brazil, Wang explains. “The paper straws retain their stability for at least two hours in a maximum 40°C liquid. If they remain in contact with liquids for an even longer period of time, they become soggy. But from a food safety point of view, it is not hygienic to do so.”

The blister for the straw has also been redesigned to help prevent litter by remaining attached to the pack so they can be recycled together. “Aseptic carton packs are made mainly from paperboard and we were the first to offer paper straws to go with them. Just like our packs, our paper straws are renewable and recyclable: the perfect match!” highlights Mélanie Revolte, Marketing Manager France at SIG. 

From pilot to end-product
The collaboration between Intermarché and SIG is the result of a long-standing endeavor to deliver paper-based straws to the aseptic packaging sector. “Our first pilot customer was Nestlé Dominican Republic, following early discussions between SIG and Nestlé global about introducing paper straws,” Wang recalls. 

The collaboration makes Intermarché the first French company to launch paper straws with aseptic carton packs. The retailers decided to launch the paper straw with SIG via Antarctic, a production unit belonging to Agromousquetaires, a food-processing subsidiary of Groupement Les Mousquetaires, and SIG’s direct customer.

“[Intermarché] decided early on to introduce SIG’s paper straw solution for aseptic carton packs to offer consumers a more sustainable alternative to plastic straws, while maintaining the on-the-go convenience of small-size drinks packs,” Wang notes.

With an eye on future innovation SIG currently has edible straws that are totally biodegradable and compostable in the pipeline. “Our packaging solutions already offer significantly better environmental performance than many alternatives and we are continually working to improve them further,” concludes Revolte.

In April, SIG published its Corporate Responsibility Performance Update for 2019, highlighting several key environmental sustainability achievements. Notably, the supplier introduced the world’s first Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) labeled packs and the first aseptic carton packs with all materials from certified sources – paperboard, plant-based polymers and aluminum foil. Pivotal progress has been made but 2020 presents further challenges for SIG as it works to secure its Way Beyond Good social and environmental targets before the year’s end.

By Anni Schleicher

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