Bioplastic Manufacturing FAQ: Are Organic Straws Compostable?

Sep 19, 2024

With environmental consciousness on the rise, more and more consumers are demanding eco-friendly options from their favorite companies. Keeping up with ecologically-sound production processes, like bioplastic manufacturing, is not only important for keeping your brand identity aligned with the attitudes of your target audience, but also for the health of our planet. Today we provide some valuable insights into the plastic industry, and answer your questions surrounding organic straws.

Bioplastic Manufacturing Makes a Difference 

The uses we expect of plastic simply aren’t going away anytime soon. Plastics are produced and utilized somewhere along the way in just about every industry there is. But there are still ways we can shepherd change. For example, our customers are phasing out traditional plastic straws in favor of organic, renewable options. Single-use plastic straws are thrown out and end up sitting in landfills for hundreds of years before degrading, or even making their way into our waterways. Ocean-bound plastic is eventually worn down into microplastics. Somewhere around 51 trillion microplastic particles are floating through our oceans today.  

If we can make a transition towards single-use organic straws that are fully biodegradable, they can be easily disposed of without wreaking the ecological havoc of traditional plastic products.

Are Organic Straws Compostable?

When referring to organic straws, most often people are speaking to paper straws made from grass, wheat or bamboo; plant-based plastic alternatives that are indeed compostable and leave “zero-waste.” This doesn’t mean they simply disappear after use, but rather that these substances are biodegradable. When thrown out, even on the side of the road, they will naturally break down and re-enter the soil without an adverse effect on the soil health. However, there is another option that is still under the organic umbrella without the sacrifice of function that your customers expect from plastic straws; bioplastic straws.

What Is Bioplastic? 

Bioplastics are a revolutionary group of materials that utilize natural plant-sourced components to create a new form of biodegradable plastic. Unlike the other plant-based straws we outlined before, which are made directly from the material of the plants themselves, bioplastics are created by extracting polymers from something called biomass. Biomass is just a scientific way to describe the plant sourced materials used to create this plastic, such as corn or vegetable oils. This doubles up on environmental best-practices by effectively reducing food waste while creating more eco-friendly products from the resultant bioplastics. 

On the Forefront of Innovation 

Through the microbial fermentation of biomass, a newly formulated material known as polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) has been at the forefront of our bioplastic manufacturing operations for years. This form of polyester bioplastic combines the durability and versatility of traditional straws with the biodegradability expected from organic straws for a best-of-both-worlds result.  

Straws made from this material are 100% compostable, even in at-home compost piles, and even marine biodegradable. This means that these straws break back down into environmentally neutral, natural components. These components can re-enter the ocean without negatively affecting the marine ecosystem, as opposed to other straws which could break down into harmful substances or not break down at all. 

Why UrthPact? 

Here at UrthPact, we are invested in creating a sustainable alternative to harmful single-use plastics wherever possible. But we’re also dedicated to providing a one-of-a-kind experience to all our customers. We prioritize your satisfaction with our industry leading product quality, flexible approach to bulk-ordering, and one-of-a-kind customization options. You can promote brand recognition with memorable, high-quality products made with sustainable bioplastic manufacturing. 

Place an order today with UrthPact and become a part of the future of sustainability. 

How Compostable Products Can Benefit Your Business

Mar 24, 2022

Compostable products provide a wide variety of benefits to not only our planet, but your business as well. A more sustainable business has been shown to garner more customer loyalty, higher profits, and better draw with younger consumers. Setting sustainability goals and implementing sustainability initiatives in your business can make a world of difference in the way your business is viewed by the public. Take Patagonia for example. The company uses huge volumes of fleece and other potential pollutants to make their products. However, they now employ a variety of sustainability programs across their entire business, making sure to include recycled materials, pay living wages, and ensure the sustainability of their supply chains. All of these actions have led to their positioning as one of the top sustainable organizations in the world.

So how do compostables fit?

Some of the facts are easy, like the fact that you’re helping to solve the plastic pollution problem by utilizing products that are compostable and made from plants rather than plastic ones that don’t break down for 500 hundred years, and leave microplastics behind. This helps your business to reduce it’s overall carbon footprint, as well as to market the fact that you’re doing your part to help reduce the single-use plastic pollution crisis plaguing our planet.

Alongside this, compostables also provide you with an opportunity to be a leader in your community. Many compostable products are industrially compostable, meaning they need a specialized facility to properly break down. Your business can help encourage your community to implement a municipal composting collection system, which then creates a ripple effect as more businesses and communities join in. You have the ability to reach further than you can ever imagine.

It’s time to switch.

Another big benefit to implementing compostable products (especially those that hold certifications from BPI and TUV) is that many of these products are compliant with single-use plastics bans that have been rolling out nationwide. Your business can jump ahead of the curve by implementing compostable sooner rather than later. When bans come, products will quickly become scarce, as compostables are still new in the market, meaning the production of these materials still isn’t at the level needed to fully support every single business that needs a single-use product. To make sure you and your business don’t get left in the dust, switch to compostable sooner rather than later!

Last but not least, we have the numbers that businesses really care about. Studies have shown that 79% of consumers are altering their purchasing habits based on sustainability, and that these consumers are willing to pay premiums for sustainable products. This means that businesses perceived as more sustainable see higher profits, as well as stronger customer loyalty. They also demonstrate a stronger pull of customers in younger generations, where sustainability is a more prevalent issue. All of these combined lead to businesses with more sustainability initiatives and goals being more successful and ranking higher than those that don’t. Even if it’s a small step, like switching your traditional plastic single-use products to compostable alternatives, it has the potential to make a much larger impact on your business as a whole.

We get it. Compostables are generally more expensive than petro-based single-use products. But consider how much good they can do not only for the planet, but for your community and your business. Sustainability is a growing issue, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. You don’t want to be left behind when the plastics bans and sustainable revolution come to your city. Take advantage of the benefits of compostables now, before it’s too late.