STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. — The planet is free from 1 billion petroleum-based plastic straws thanks to being replaced by phade®, the world’s first marine biodegradable, home and industrial compostable drinking straw. WinCup Inc., phade’s® manufacturer, announced today that the company has sold 1 billion phade® straws, enough to reach halfway to the moon if lined up end to end. With customers’ help, the company now aspires to “reach the moon” and beyond as it works to replace billions of traditional plastic straws.
“JFK famously said that NASA accepted the mission to reach the moon not because it was easy but because it was hard,” said Michael Winters, WinCup President and Chief Revenue Officer. “The same can be said for our commitment to develop phade® as the most sustainable alternative to traditional plastic straws. The planet is facing a serious crisis with plastic pollution and consumers around the world expect manufactures to provide meaningful sustainable solutions. phade® is the solution that can help to minimize plastic pollution in the straw category.”
Made with PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate), a meaningful new biopolymer derived from the fermentation of canola oil, phade® straws maintain the feel and user experience of traditional plastic straws but will safely biodegrade and return to nature quickly. phade® has become popular among consumers as well as major restaurant and hospitality brands, professional sports venues, airports and other retail outlets nationwide.
The development of phade® involved a rigorous testing and certification process. TÜV AUSTRIA, a globally recognized independent third-party certifying body, certified phade® as both industrial and home compostable in a matter of months. TÜV also certified the material from which the phade® straw is made as marine biodegradable. Additionally, the Biodegradable Products Institute Inc. (BPI) has certified phade® as industrial compostable.
“Unlike with petroleum-based straws – which take hundreds of years to biodegrade – phade® straws generally biodegrade in a matter of months in environments where bacteria are present and can use PHA as a food source,” explained Brad Laporte, WinCup’s Chief Executive Officer. “That means to date a billion phade® straws have been manufactured and have either safely returned to nature or will in a matter of months rather than polluting the environment for centuries. Solutions like phade® have emerged as a vital weapon the fight against plastic pollution, and we at WinCup have only just begun.”
WinCup, a leader in foodservice products manufacturing, has won numerous awards for the development of phade®, including the 2020 Innovation in Biopolymer Award from the Plastics Industry Association, and the 2021 Innovation in Foodservice Award for Sustainability Solutions from the National Restaurant Association. phade® was also recognized as a finalist or honorable mention in 4 out of 5 categories in Fast Company’s 2021 World Changing Ideas Awards.
WinCup’s focus on sustainable solutions was bolstered in September 2020 when Los Angeles-based global private investment firm Atar Capital acquired the company. Among Atar’s core principles is a commitment to sustainability and investing in companies that work toward protecting the environment.
About WinCup, Inc. and phade®
WinCup, Inc. is headquartered in Stone Mountain, Georgia and is a leading manufacturer of traditional and Eco-Friendly disposable cups, bowls, containers, lids, and straws. The company’s eight manufacturing locations are committed to high-quality products and superior customer service. To learn more, please visit www.wincup.com and www.phadeproducts.com.
