STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga., and BUFFALO, N.Y – New WinCup Holdings, Inc. and Delaware North, a leading global hospitality and entertainment company, are continuing their sustainable partnership by introducing phade® Eco-Stirrers to the 2021 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on June 24-27 at The Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Ga.
WinCup and Delaware North’s initiative to supply the KPMG WPGA Championship with phade® eco-friendly stirrers comes on the heels of the first event in the WinCup-Delaware North partnership: introducing phade® to the 2021 PGA Championship in Kiawah Island, S.C., in May.
Made with PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate), a substrate derived from the fermentation of canola oil, the phade® brand represents the first mass-produced marine-biodegradable and home-and-industrial-compostable drinking stirrers and straws. The products maintain the feel and user experience of a traditional plastic stirrer and straw unlike paper straws that get soggy.
For Delaware North, making the phade® products available to its operations aligns with its proprietary stewardship platform, GreenPath®, which helps ensure the company carefully manages its environmental impact and positively contributes to the communities it serves.
“Bringing phade® Eco-Stirrers to the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship so soon after the PGA Championship demonstrates our partnership’s commitment to move quickly in setting a new standard for environmental responsibility in our industry,” said Deb Friedel, Director of Sustainability for Delaware North. “We look forward to continuing to introduce phade® to our managed properties and upcoming events across the country to bring about a better, greener future.”
Delaware North operates in more than 200 hospitality locations, including sports and entertainment venues, casinos, airports, destination restaurants, national and state parks, and hotels.
“Our partnership with Delaware North is all about generating momentum for the good of the planet and everyone who calls it home,” said WinCup President & Chief Revenue Officer Michael Winters. “In just a short month since our introduction at the PGA Championship, Delaware North is bringing phade® to yet another major event, giving us the opportunity to expand the reach and usage of sustainable products that mitigate environmental damage. We could not ask for a better ally and look forward to our continued collaboration to solve the global plastics crisis.”
WinCup’s focus on sustainable solutions was bolstered in September 2020 when Los Angeles-based private equity 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.
The key to phade® is PHA. As WinCup’s CEO Brad Laporte explains: “PHA is used as a food source by bacteria that biodegrade the phade® straws and stirrers in a matter of months instead of hundreds of years like petroleum-based straws. Because of WinCup’s extensive manufacturing experience with foodservice products, we have the infrastructure in place to scale phade® with growing market demand.”
WinCup has won numerous awards for the development and launch of phade®, including the 2021 Innovation in FoodService Award for Sustainability Solutions from the National Restaurant Association and SmartBrief and 2020 Innovation in Bioplastics Award from the Bioplastics Division of PLASTICS (The Plastics Industry Association). Most recently, WinCup was recognized out of a pool of more than 4,000 global entries by Fast Company’s 2021 World Changing Ideas Awards as a finalist in the Consumer Products and Enduring Impact categories and as an honorable mention in the World Changing Ideas -North America and General Excellence categories.
The development of phade® involved a rigorous testing and certification process. TUV AUSTRIA, a globally recognized independent third-party certifying body, certified phade® as both industrial and backyard compostable in a matter of months. TUV also certified the material from which WinCup’s phade® straw is made as marine biodegradable. Additionally, the Biodegradable Products Institute Inc. (BPI) has certified phade® as industrially compostable.
About WinCup, Inc.
WinCup Inc., which is headquartered in Stone Mountain, Georgia, has recently been acquired by Atar Capital LLC, a Los Angeles based global private equity investment firm. WinCup is a leading manufacturer of traditional and sustainable 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.
About Delaware North
Delaware North is a global hospitality and entertainment company founded in 1915 and owned by the Jacobs family for more than 100 years. Delaware North operates at high-profile places such as sports and entertainment venues, national and state parks, cultural landmarks, destination resorts and restaurants, airports, and regional casinos. Our associates are dedicated to delighting guests by creating the world’s best experiences. Delaware North serves millions of guests each year in the sports, travel hospitality, restaurant and catering, lodging, gaming, and specialty retail industries. Learn more about Delaware North at www.DelawareNorth.com.
