SOFI Introduces Biodegradable Cups and Removes Plastic Lids
SOFi Products, the Miami-based manufacturer of compostable paper SOFi Straws, has introduced what it claims is the world's first biodegradable cup without a plastic lid.
The SOFi Cold Cup is foldable, plastic-and bioplastic-free, and biodegrades naturally in 180 days in landfills, soil, and marine environments.
SOFi co-founder Brandon Leeds said:
"There are no cups currently on the market that are 100% biodegradable and eliminate the need for a plastic lid. Until now, all cups—even those that say ‘compostable"—must either be sent to a composting facility or recycled. Both rarely occur, and cups end up in landfills where they will take decades to biodegrade. If the SOFi Cold Cup ends up in the ocean or a landfill, it will be gone in under 180 days.”
The SOFi Cold Cup has four foldable flaps that form a spill-proof top and are compatible with any of SOFi's paper straws. SOfi states that this design eliminates the need for a separate lid, saving businesses money on additional inventory and shipping costs.
In 2019, the inventors of SOFi set out to develop a paper straw that lasts for hours, does not go soggy, and does not taste like paper. The straws were a success and are now available nationwide at Walmart and in a variety of coffee and restaurant brands, such as La Colombe, Bluestone Lane, Earl of Sandwich, Alfred Coffee, and others.
Several businesses are integrating biodegradable food and beverage alternatives. This season, biodegradable and compostable drinking straws were made available to baseball fans at Yankee Stadium in New York.
WinCup's phade straw is a petroleum-free, non-forest-based bioplastic manufactured from polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a biodegradable biopolymer derived from the fermentation of canola oil. According to WinCup, the straw will function similarly to conventional plastic straws, but with reduced greenhouse gas emissions and waste implications.
Starbucks has also pledged to eliminate PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds) from its food packaging materials. As part of the company's new sustainable packaging policy, the removal of these hazardous chemicals from its food packaging materials in the United States will be completed by the end of 2022.
Before 2018, 2019, and 2021, Starbucks scored an F on the Retailer Report Card, which evaluates retailers on their safer chemical policies and implementation programmes.
Source: Environmental Leader
