FrieslandCampina switches to sustainable, paper straws

23-Jan-2020 - Netherlands

FrieslandCampina introduces paper straws for all European packages including a straw. Over 100 million plastic straws will be replaced by a more sustainable, paper variant in a year’s time. With this measure, FrieslandCampina runs ahead of the EU ban on disposable plastic straws. Following the recent introduction of a recyclable cheese packaging, this is a next step towards less plastic.

The straws introduced by FrieslandCampina are made of certified paper. Patrick van Baal, Global Director Packaging Development at FrieslandCampina: “It is not easy to develop a strong paper straw that is flexible and hygienic and that does not get soft too quickly while drinking. Besides, the straw must be degradable in case it accidentally ends up in the environment. After a lot of testing, we have succeeded in developing a straw that meets all these requirements.”

Several countries
FrieslandCampina wants to be leading in sustainability and is therefore speeding up the reduction of plastic. The straws on small packages of its own brands in a number of major countries within the European Union will be the first to be replaced. These include the brands Chocomel, Fristi, Campina and Optimel in the Netherlands; Cécémel, Joyvalle and Fristi in Belgium; Pöttyös in Hungary and Yazoo in the United Kingdom. Outside Europe, FrieslandCampina will also start using paper straws with the Dutch Lady brand in Hong Kong. There is not yet a qualitatively and hygienically suitable alternative for the plastic wrappers which are put around the straws for hygienic purposes. FrieslandCampina will also replace the plastic protective wrappers around the straws as soon as this has been found.

Facts

142 million straws of FrieslandCampina will have been replaced in 2021. This is more than 23,000 kilometres and 57,000 kilos of plastic straws.
These packages need flexible straws. Otherwise the straws will be too large for being glued onto the package or too small to completely empty the package.

https://www.yumda.com/en/news/1164584/frieslandcampina-switches-to-sustainable-paper-straws.html