Although paper straws and Compostable PLA Straws solve the irreversible damage of plastic straws to the environment, they have distinct advantages and disadvantages under the existing technical conditions.

The biggest problem with paper straws is the poor user experience. At present, the water-resistance of paper straws is not strong enough, and it is difficult to be as light and thin as plastic straws. If you often use the paper straws provided by milk tea shops and coffee shops, you will find that the straws will soften after a while, which may even affect the taste of the drink itself.

PLA straws are environmentally friendly and biodegradable straws. Although they are closer to plastic straws in terms of use, the high cost, unstable materials and short shelf life are their biggest drawbacks. The shelf life of paper straws can reach 2-3 years, but PLA products will begin to degrade in about a year.

As the price of PLA straw, the raw material polylactic acid, has risen in recent years, the cost of PLA straw has also risen. One reason is that in markets such as Europe and North America, PLA straws were promoted as early as 2018 when the demand for raw materials was already rising. When China has recently increased its ban on plastics, the supply of raw materials has exceeded demand.

If you want to know more about PLA coating paper cups and Compostable Paper Cups, you can get in touch with us: https://www.pando-group.com/straws/compostable-pla-straws/compostable-pla-straws.html