The EU’s single use products directive outlaws almost all uses of plastics drinking straws as of 3 July this year. There is already huge marketplace interest in replacing them with paper alternatives. It is vital that these new paper drinking straws are fit for purpose and present no health risk to consumers.
Unlike the mono-material plastics drinking straw, the modern paper alternative is a new and highly-engineered product, composed of carefully adapted paper, adhesive and ink, manufactured on high performance specialist machines. All these elements need to perform impeccably together – and above all be safe – to produce the perfect straw.
Today, there is no dedicated EU product standard for paper drinking straws. But there are extensive regulatory requirements that paper drinking straws and their component materials must meet to be legally placed on the EU market.
To meet the expectations of Europe’s health and safety-conscious consumers, shaken by the Covid-19 pandemic, a group of enterprising paper drinking straw manufacturers in the EU and their supply chain partners have focused on identifying and meeting all these relevant regulatory requirements. Now the companies have catalogued these in a brand new Charter of Trust for Paper Drinking Straws, managed by industry body 360° Foodservice, that will be publicly launched on 24 March [Register here].
Leading manufacturers of drinking straws in the EU have moved fast and invested heavily in order to establish a sustainable new European paper drinking straw sector that will lead the world. The Charter of Trust is a guarantee of quality that they are committing to. Others are urged to follow. Compliant products will soon be made visible in the market by a registered Trust Mark that can be obtained under license from 360° Foodservice.