Bagasse Straw

Low Carbon Material: Bagasse is a secondary material of the agriculture industry. Unlike fossil-based plastic products that require the exploitation of raw materials and cracking for the production of basic materials, bagasse has GHG emissions significantly lower than plastic, making it a type of low-carbon material.

Biodegradable & Compostable: Bagasse is a natural plant fiber that contains rich organic matter. It can be decomposed back to the earth by microorganisms within months and provide nutrients to the soil to complete the biomass cycle. Bagasse does not impose a burden on the environment.

Cheaper Cost: Sugar cane as material for making sugar has been widely planted since the 19th century. After improvement of the varieties for more than one hundred years, sugar cane is currently characterized by resistance to drought, high temperatures and pests, and can be widely planted in the tropics. Under the fixed global demand for sugar, bagasse as a by-product can provide a stable and sufficient source of material without having to worry about scarcity.

Alternatives to Disposable Tableware: Bagasse is composed of fibers and, like paper, can be polymerized and used as a substitute for disposable plastic cutlery, such as straws, knives, forks and spoons.

Sustainable Packaging Materials: Unlike plastic, for which the exploitation and refining of oil are needed, bagasse originates from natural plants and can be produced continuously through agricultural planting without concerns about material exhaustion. In addition, bagasse can be decomposed through plant photosynthesis and composting to achieve a carbon cycle that helps mitigate climate change.

Enhance Brand Image: Bagasse can be used for composting and is sustainable. It comes from renewable waste and is part of sustainable operations. By applying this environment-friendly material, companies can encourage consumers to support green consumption and improve the image consumers have of the brand. Bagasse can meet the requirements of customers who are ecologically aware.

No microplastics issue: After plastic enters the environment, it will gradually become brittle, degrade and break down in the sunlight. These broken plastics will turn into microplastics and reach every corner in the world through the water cycle, including rivers, lakes, and the oceans. Accumulated in the body of animals in these environments, the microplastics will eventually be swallowed by people along with fish, shrimp, and shellfish. Hazardous substances (e.g. heavy metals) can easily adhere to these microplastics, and this gives them the chance to enter and damage the body. By contrast, bagasse straws can be naturally decomposed in the environment instead of becoming microplastics and getting in the body.

Reduction of the volume of marine waste: In accordance with the statistics made by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), at least 14 million tons of plastic enter the ocean each year, accounting 80% of all marine waste. Most of these plastics are unproperly disposed waste from the land that entered the ocean through rivers or groundwater. They can harm marine animals by swallowing, suffocation and entanglement. Hence, the use of bagasse straws can reduce the volume of marine waste as well as the negative impact on marine ecosystems caused by people.

Safe and non-toxic: Bagasse straws are mostly made of bagasse materials, so they hardly generate toxic substances. On the contrary, plastic straws may contain chemical additives such as heat stabilizers, ultraviolet stabilizers, colorants and plasticizers during the manufacturing process, and these could be released due to abrasion, temperature changes or erosion of acid drinks when using the straws. At present, it is uncertain if these substances will harm the body over time, so bagasse straws would be a safer choice.

Cheaper Cost: Sugar cane as material for making sugar has been widely planted since the 19th century. After improvement of the varieties for more than one hundred years, sugar cane is currently characterized by resistance to drought, high temperatures and pests, and can be widely planted in the tropics. Under the fixed global demand for sugar, bagasse as a by-product can provide a stable and sufficient source of material without having to worry about scarcity.

Reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions: The source of plastic is petrochemical raw materials. First of all, crude oil needs to be transported from oil-producing countries to other countries across the ocean. After it is thermally fractionated and cracked in local processing plants, the plastic materials generated will be delivered to plastics manufacturing factories and then made into all kinds of plastic. This transportation and manufacturing process will produce large amounts of greenhouse gases (GHG). The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) pointed out that in 2019, 18 billion tons of GHG were generated from plastics, which was 3.4% of the total GHG emitted globally. It is expected that 43 billion tons – more than twice the number at present – of GHG will be produced from plastics in 2060. This will further cause climate change. By using bagasse straws, the demand for plastic can be reduced and further resulting in the decrease of GHG emissions.