Following New York state’s ban on plastic grocery bags, effective March 1, 2020, Rochester, New York-based Wegmans supermarket chain announced plans to reduce overall plastic usage by 10 million pounds by 2024. The supermarket’s initiative includes a switch from plastic straws to fiber alternatives at every store location and corporate site.
Wegmans recently selected Footprint, a sustainable product manufacturer, as their new straw provider. The move sets up the company to manufacture more than 10% of America’s daily straw use.
Based in Gilbert, AZ, Footprint manufactures fiber-based sustainable products that are designed to be biodegradable, compostable, and recyclable. The company’s products are a plastic replacement in everything from produce packaging to meat trays, but now the company plans to ramp up paper straw production to meet increasing demand.
The U.S. paper straw market has been growing as more communities have banned plastic counterparts. In July 2018, Seattle became the biggest city in the U.S. to ban plastic straws. Large corporations, such as Starbucks and McDonald’s, have also rolled out plans to phase out plastic straws.
The global initiative to switch from plastic to paper has birthed some exotic, reusable options, including straws made out of pasta, bamboo, and Tiffany & Co. even designed a sterling silver reusable straw that costs up to $425.
Paper Straw Demand
According to the National Park Service, Americans consume 500 million straws each day.
So, how large is the demand for paper straws? In 2017, Fort Wayne, Indiana-based Aardvark Straws, experienced a 5,000% sales spike that created a 12-week backlog and possibly contributed to the company’s sale to Oshkosh, Wisconsin-based Hoffmaster Group, a manufacturer of disposable tableware and paper products.
Founded by former Intel engineers Troy Swope and Yoke Chung, Footprint employs more than 800 people.
The company’s straws are made in three sizes with specially engineered paper for optimum performance – after all, the industry has had concerns about inferior quality. Footprint’s straws are engineered to survive days of use, yet break down entirely in 90 days.