Danimer Scientific, Eagle Beverage partner on biodegradable straws for quick service restaurants

The straws will degrade in environments ranging from industrial composting facilities to home compost units and oceans without leaving behind microplastics.

Eagle Beverage will manufacture the straws using Danimer Scientific’s proprietary biopolymer, Nodax^™ polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). Tested by University of Georgia (UGA) researchers and the UGA New Materials Institute, PHA is made from sustainable materials, such as canola oil, to produce a proven biodegradable alternative to traditional petrochemical plastics. The straws are expected to be available for Eagle Beverage’s QSR customers to purchase in early 2021. After launching the straws, Eagle Beverage plans to explore expanding its offerings to include compostable food containers, packaging and more.

“Reducing the impact of plastic waste is a critical issue across the country, but consumers have limited ways to find eco-friendly alternatives at fast food restaurants,” said Eagle Beverage Vice President Aisha Kabani. “By partnering with Danimer Scientific to produce a reliably biodegradable straw, we will provide a cost-effective solution for restaurants to deliver guilt-free beverage enjoyment to their customers. Petrochemical straws break down into harmful microplastics and never fully degrade, but these PHA straws will completely degrade in a matter of months.”

The straws will be 100% made in the United States as Danimer Scientific produces Nodax PHA^™ in its Kentucky- and Georgia-based facilities, while Eagle Beverage manufactures the straws in its Kent, Wash.-based facility. Danimer Scientific’s Nodax^™ PHA possesses 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 Nodax^™ PHA, are FDA approved for food contact.

“PHA has become the go-to material for sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic that do not sacrifice reliability or quality,” said Danimer Scientific CEO Stephen Croskrey. “Eagle Beverage has established robust relationships with some of the largest fast food chains in the country, so we look forward to partnering with them on supplying the industry with biodegradable straws.”

www.DanimerScientific.com, www.Eagle-Beverage.com.