Plastic straws have always been the focus of controversy in disposable plastics. It has a characteristic inherent to all traditional plastics: it is very durable, so it can stay the same no matter where it is. If you are not careful, a straw can become trash in a park, beach or lake. However, it is such a seemingly simple thing that makes it impossible to find a trustworthy alternative from the perspective of performance, especially the environment.
WinCup Holdings has proposed a breakthrough solution: a phade straw, made of PHA, which is extracted from the fermentation of rapeseed oil. It provides consumers with the experience of using plastic straws, but the design of phade straws is essentially biodegradable and disappears. Certification tests showed that it achieved complete marine biodegradation in just 58 days.
It is estimated that petrochemical straws, usually made of polypropylene, will take at least 200 years to decompose.
WinCup Holdings emphasized that phade straws will not be thrown into any water body for degradation, but are designed as industrial or household compost. However, unlike traditional straws, if the phade straw eventually enters the ocean, it will be biodegraded by bacteria.
Phade was born as a substitute for paper, traditional PP plastic and PLA straw, which can only be composted industrially. Paper straws lack durability and become wet or even break during use.
Overview and certification
Brad Laporte, CEO of WinCup Holdings, said: “We are still focused on solving the global plastic pollution crisis. We strongly believe that the market is the main driving force for eliminating petroleum plastic demand and manufacturers are obliged to change business practices to promote this cause. We are We are extremely proud of the innovation behind our products. This innovation promotes the rapid biodegradation process. We are still committed to continuously improving the sustainable properties of our products.”
The development of Phade involves a rigorous testing and certification process. TUV Austria is a globally recognized independent third-party certification body that certified phade as an industrial and backyard compost product within a few months. TUV also certified that the material used in the phade straw is a marine biodegradable material. In addition, the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) has certified phade as an industrial compostable product.