Danimer Scientific and Wincup winners of the 2020 Innovation in Bioplastics award

The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) Bioplastics Division has announced Danimer Scientific and WinCup as the joint winners of the 2020 Innovation in Bioplastics Award. Together they developed the first commercially sold straws made of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a material verified as a reliable biodegradable alternative to traditional petrochemical plastic.

WinCup created the Phade straws using Danimer Scientific’s Nodax^™ PHA, which will completely degrade in any environment without leaving behind microplastics. Consumer demand for eco-friendly plastic products is growing exponentially. Phade straws were the first plastic drinking straw on the market to meet this eco-friendly demand without losing the feel and quality of plastic. Phade straws have unique properties that are not sensitive to temperature, enabling them to be used in both hot and cold drinks.

“We are honored to present the Innovation in Bioplastics Award to Danimer Scientific and WinCup, recognizing their work in continued innovation,” said Patrick Krieger, Director, Sustainability & Materials at PLASTICS. “In 2018, Danimer along with PepsiCo received recognition for their industrially compostable chip bag, which sought to provide a sustainable end-of-life solution for a difficult-to-recycle packaging format. Since then, they have advanced so much with their production and compounding with PHA, resulting in a plastic straw that is marine-biodegradable. This product also speaks to a bigger principle in the plastics industry: innovative problem-solving to create products that consumers want.”

Danimer Scientific is a pioneer in creating more sustainable and natural ways to make plastic products that are biodegradable and compostable. Applications for its biopolymers include additives, aqueous coatings, fibers, filaments, films, and injection-molded articles, among others. Based in the United States, the company holds 125 patents in nearly 20 countries for a range of manufacturing processes and biopolymer formulations.

“Innovation is a collaborative process, and this recognition of our work with WinCup highlights the success that is possible when raw material and end-product manufacturers partner on bringing new materials to market,” said Scott Tuten, Chief Marketing Officer at Danimer Scientific. “Our launch of this first-of-its-kind backyard compostable and marine-biodegradable straw is only the beginning. We look forward to continuing our partnership with WinCup to provide consumers with reliable and sustainable options for single-use products.”

WinCup is a leading manufacturer of disposable foodservice to-go ware based in the United States.

“Consumer demand continues to grow for innovative products that minimize environmental impacts while maintaining superior performance, and we needed an innovative material to meet that demand,” said Brad Laporte, Chief Operating Officer at WinCup. “Partnering with Danimer Scientific to develop PHA based straws and stirrers is a big step to changing the future in single-use plastics. We are especially honored to have our work recognized by the Plastics Industry Association.”

The Innovation in Bioplastics Award is announced annually during PLASTICS’ Bioplastics Division’s Bioplastics Week. Bioplastics Week is a social media-driven initiative created to increase the visibility of bioplastics and educate people about the many benefits of bioplastics. Follow the conversation on social media using #BioplasticsWeek.

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