The bendable plastic straws that come with juice boxes are quite recognizable but can contribute towards more plastic pollution, so brands like Ribena are taking initiatives to eliminate them like with these paper juice box straws. The brand is trialling the paper straws in the UK, which are made by Transcend Packaging and are fully recyclable as well as biodegradable. The straws will be showing up in Tesco locations and are projected to prevent the use of up to 16 tonnes of plastic waste per year.
Business Transformation Manager at Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I Jo Padwick spoke on the new Ribena paper juice box straws saying, "Developing a bendable, durable paper straw, hasn’t been easy but recycling it should be. We’ve conducted hours of consumer testing to make sure our new paper straws can puncture the carton, that they don’t become soggy, and that Ribena lovers enjoy the feel of sipping from them. Now that they’re out in market we can gather even more feedback before rolling the straws out more widely."
Plastic-Free Juice Box Straws
Ribena is Trialling Paper Juice Box Straws in the UK
Trend Themes
1. Eliminating Plastic Straws - The trend of eliminating plastic straws aims to reduce plastic pollution and encourage more sustainable alternatives like paper straws.
2. Recyclable and Biodegradable Materials - The trend of using recyclable and biodegradable materials in packaging, such as paper straws, offers a more eco-friendly solution to reduce waste.
3. Consumer Testing for Sustainable Materials - The trend of conducting consumer testing for sustainable materials allows brands to gather feedback and improve the performance and user experience of eco-friendly products like paper straws.
Industry Implications
1. Beverage Packaging - The beverage packaging industry can explore the use of recyclable and biodegradable materials, like paper straws, to enhance sustainability and reduce environmental impact.
2. Retail - The retail industry, especially grocery stores like Tesco, can implement plastic-free initiatives like introducing paper straws to cater to consumer demand for more sustainable and eco-friendly options.
3. Food and Beverage - The food and beverage industry can adopt eco-friendly packaging solutions, such as replacing plastic straws with paper straws, to meet consumer expectations for more sustainable and environmentally-friendly products.