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Do you know the annual National Strawberry Day? Neither do I. The time is January 3, 2021, which is the date when Marvin C. Stone obtained the patent for the paper straw in 1888, or the story is like this. WinCup is using this August opportunity to promote its biodegradable straw, phade. Known as "the last straw you will need", WinCup will send free straw samples to consumers who "like" phade on Instagram or "like" phade on Facebook on January 3rd, while supplies last. 

The company said that phade straw is made from rapeseed oil-derived polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), which is biodegradable in marine environments and compostable in domestic and industrial environments. 

"Phade really belongs to its own category," said Brad Laporte, CEO of WinCup. "This unique product can be biodegraded and composted within a few months while meeting consumer needs and high expectations without sacrificing performance. Phade is made of natural biopolymers, allowing it to return safely and quickly Naturally. The scalability of WinCup allows us to provide this straw nationwide," LaPorte added.

The biodegradability statement has been certified by TUV Austria, an independent third-party certification body recognized globally. TUV determined that phade materials will biodegrade in marine or soil environments and compost in industrial and backyard environments. According to WinCup, the Institute of Biodegradable Products has also verified that phade is compostable in industrial environments and that it complies with the FDA's cold food and beverage exposure safety regulations.

The key to this technology is the rapeseed oil-based substrate PHA created by Danimer Scientific and launched in 2018. The patented Nodax PHA is the first of its kind to be used in industrial grade. As reported in "Plastics Today" last September, Danimer and WinCup won the 2020 Bioplastics Innovation Award from the Bioplastics Division of the Plastics Industry Association in recognition of their joint development.

The straw actually has a long history. According to some historians, the earliest known straw dates back to at least 2000 BC. It was found in a Sumerian tomb and is made of gold and precious stones. Fast forward thousands of years, and suddenly plastic straws are everywhere, quickly replacing Mr. Stone's ancient paper invention. Recently, plastic straws have fallen out of favor in some circles, causing fast food restaurants and restaurants to go back to the future and try to reintroduce paper straws. They soon discovered that plastics had good reasons to conquer the market. Paper straws will get soaked and cracked, and they cannot handle milkshakes and Frappuccinos. WinCup says that plant-based polylactic acid straws are also emerging as "green" alternatives, but they are not marine biodegradable or home compostable. "Companies are looking for environmentally friendly products that meet customer expectations," said Michael Winters, WinCup president and chief revenue officer. "There is no doubt that those who try to use phade straws are surprised that such a sturdy product has so little impact on the environment."

On January 3, you can judge for yourself without spending a penny, while stocks last.

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