In New York, popular burger chain Shake Shack is trialing the use of bioplastic straws and utensils at a handful of its 310 stores. Nation’s Restaurant News says the biodegradable, polyhydroxybutyrate service ware items are already being used at locations in West Hollywood and Long Beach, California; Madison Square Park and West Village, New York […]
In Italy, architecture firm LCA Architetti has designed a small country house made from natural and recyclable construction materials. The simple design utilizes a prefab timber structure and straw insulation sourced from local rice farmers. The house’s most striking feature, however, is arguably cork cladding in a “wavy textured finish” that reduces the structure’s energy […]
In Georgia, single-use dinnerware maker WinCup says it will give away biodegradable drinking straws on January 3, otherwise known as National Drinking Straw Day. Dubbed phade, WinCup’s straws are made from Danimer Scientific’s Nodax polyhydroxyalkanoate. As long as supplies last, WinCup will send free straws to people who like them on Instagram or friend them […]
In Bengalaru, India, a startup is producing biodegradable straws from coconut leaves. Dubbed Evlogical Eco Care Private, the company takes fallen coconut leaves from local farms, gives them an “intense” cleaning, then sells them under the brand name Kocos Leafy Straws. Manigandan Kumarappan tells The Logical Indian the eco-friendly straws do not get soggy for […]
In the US, edible straw maker SORBOS has landed its first restaurant franchise deal. Tropical Smoothie Café will use the straws for a limited time, beginning November 11. The 100% flavored and biodegradable plastic straw alternative is made of sugar, water, cornstarch and gelatine and stays rigid for 40 minutes in cold and frozen […]
In Massachusetts, Dunkin’ has said it is testing the use of bioplastic straws at 250 locations throughout the United States. Formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts, the popular coffee chain says the straws are made of PHA, a bioplastic produced via fermentation from canola oil. “[W]hile the straws have the same look and feel as traditional […]
In India, an English professor is working to address the populous country’s plastics waste crisis by turning waste coconut leaves into straws. Saji Varghese, of Christ University in Bengaluru, tells India Times the idea came to him in 2017 when he noticed the shape a fallen coconut leaf on campus took. “I picked it up […]
Finland has lots of trees and biomass, so Dolea is situated in a perfect place to create their paper drinking straws. Paper straws may not sound very innovative to you, but what IS unique is Dolea’s creation of straws with no glue and that are repulpable. Check out their slide guide from ABLC Digital this […]
In Canada, Prairie Clean Energy is exploring the use of flax straw as feedstock for biomass power, saying it is close to wood fiber. Saskatchewan produces more than 700,000 metric tons of flax straw annually, and with a commercial facility requiring 250,000 tons, the company is keen to put the waste material to good use. […]
In North Dakota, as Blue Flint Ethanol looks for alternative energy sources ahead of the 2022 closure of the nearby coal plant it currently relies upon for steam, the Bismarck Tribune reports that the company is exploring the use of wheat straw and corn stover as alternatives. It recently received a $155,000 grant from the […]
