Gaia Biomaterials’ Compostable Material to Be Used in Drinking Straws

Sustainable service ware producer Evanesce will soon start production of the first 7.5 million drinking straws in the U.S. made from Biodolomer, a compostable material based on limestone, developed and manufactured by Sweden’s Gaia Biomaterials. “The U.S. market is 500 million straws — per day, and we offer a compostable material that gives the feeling that customers want from a drinking straw. The potential is enormous,” says Gaia Biomaterials CEO Peter Stenström.

Since its founding in 2016, Evanesce has been a leading force in the American transition away from disposable plastic service ware, focusing on compostable alternatives. At the company’s Early Branch, South Carolina, production facility, extensive trials have been conducted with the limestone-based Biodolomer. Says Evanesce’s CEO Douglas Horne, “There is a strong demand from consumers and brands for affordable, sustainable solutions. Out of the materials we have tested, Biodolomer is the only one that has lived up to our quality expectations, while also being a competitively priced premium product.”

Biodolomer is certified for industrial composting by both BPI in the U.S. and DinCertco in Europe, and has received FDA authorization for the safe use of food-contact substances. It leaves no microplastics during the composting process.