Georgia-based Danimer Scientific and private label manufacturer Eagle Beverage Products, located in Washington, have announced plans to produce biodegradable drinking straws made from Danimer’s Nodax PHA for the quick service restaurant industry.
Tested by University of Georgia researchers and the UGA New Materials Institute, Nodax PHA offers a proven biodegradable alternative to traditional petrochemical plastics. PHAs are a family of biodegradable biopolyesters produced through fermentation by a wide range of microorganisms as a source of energy and a carbon store.
Straws made from Nodax will fully degrade in environments ranging from industrial composting facilities to home compost units and oceans without leaving behind microplastics. According to Eagle Beverage vice president Aisha Kabani, the new straws will ‘provide a cost-effective solution for restaurants to deliver guilt-free beverage enjoyment to their customers’.
The straws will be 100% made in the United States and are expected to be available for Eagle Beverage’s customers in the quick service restaurant industry to purchase in early 2021.
“Eagle Beverage has established robust relationships with some of the largest fast food chains in the country, noted Danimer Scientific CEO Stephen Croskrey.
After launching the straws, Eagle Beverage plans to explore expanding its offerings to include compostable food containers, packaging and more.
Danimer Scientific’s Nodax PHA has earned seven TÜV AUSTRIA certifications and statements of industrial and home compostability, is biodegradable in anaerobic conditions, soil, freshwater and marine environments and is 100% bio-based. All of Danimer Scientific’s biopolymers, including its Noda PHA, are FDA approved for food contact.