Comparing alternatives to plastic straws: paper, bamboo and sugarcane
Paper, bamboo or sugarcane fibre straws: the short answer
For a UK bar, hotel or restaurant, paper straws are the cheapest of the three but soften in the glass, bamboo straws are reusable and demand daily maintenance, and sugarcane fibre straws sit between the two as a single-use compostable product. None of the three solves cost and durability at the same time, which is why a fourth category has appeared on the market: the washable straw made from a rigid non-plastic material. Straws-Berry makes that fourth category. Straws-Berry straws are produced in France from wood offcuts and natural minerals, and they withstand 20 dishwasher cycles at 90 degrees Celsius under standard NF EN 12875-1.
What is an alternative to the plastic straw?
An alternative to the plastic straw is any drinking straw made without single-use fossil plastic, whether it is single-use and compostable, such as paper or sugarcane fibre, or washable and reusable, such as bamboo, stainless steel, or the wood-and-mineral material used by Straws-Berry.
Why UK venues are looking for alternatives
Plastic straws are used for a few minutes and persist for decades, and they are one of the most visible items in marine litter. In England, the Environmental Protection (Plastic Straws, Cotton Buds and Stirrers) (England) Regulations 2020 came into force on 1 October 2020 and restrict the supply of single-use plastic straws. Catering businesses may still supply them to a customer who asks for one on medical or accessibility grounds, but they cannot be offered, displayed or handed out as a default. The current scope, and the list of materials covered, is published by the UK government in its guidance on single-use plastics bans and restrictions. The same direction of travel applies across the rest of the UK and in the European Union, so a venue that changes supplier once avoids changing again.
Beyond compliance, the choice is commercial. A straw is handled by every customer who orders a drink, it carries the venue brand for the length of that drink, and a straw that collapses is remembered. The question for an operator is therefore not only which material is greener, but which material survives the service.
Paper straws
Description and manufacture
Paper straws are made from compressed paper fibres wound in several plies and bonded with a food-safe adhesive to form a rigid tube. Manufacturers usually specify recycled paper or paper from sustainably managed forests, and the tubes can be printed in a wide range of colours and patterns, which makes them easy to match to a venue identity.
Advantages
Paper straws are biodegradable, they are the cheapest option per unit, and they are easy to buy in bulk and to store. They accept printing, so they can carry a logo or a seasonal design at low cost.
Disadvantages
Their weakness is time in liquid. Paper softens, and the tube loses its rigidity within minutes in a hot or acidic drink, which is the single most common customer complaint about the material. A low unit price is also misleading when several straws are consumed per drink.
Recommended use
Paper straws suit short events, festivals and fast-turnover cold drinks, where the straw is used and discarded before it has time to soften.
Bamboo straws
Description and manufacture
Bamboo straws are cut from bamboo stalks, then sanded and sterilised for food use. Bamboo grows quickly and is a renewable resource, and each straw keeps a slightly different diameter and grain because it comes from a natural stem.
Advantages
Bamboo straws are reusable, which removes the per-drink waste of single-use formats. They handle hot and cold drinks, and their natural look suits cocktail bars and upscale rooms.
Disadvantages
They need real maintenance. A bamboo straw must be cleaned and dried after every use to prevent mould, the interior is difficult to inspect, and the unit cost is the highest of the three. A bamboo straw that is not dried properly has a short working life.
Recommended use
Bamboo straws suit low-volume premium service, where staff have time to wash, inspect and dry each straw by hand.
Sugarcane fibre straws
Description and manufacture
Sugarcane fibre straws are made by other manufacturers on the market, not by Straws-Berry. They are moulded from the fibrous residue left after sugarcane juice extraction, a by-product known as bagasse, which is pressed and formed into a single-use tube. The material is an example of an agricultural by-product put back into use.
Advantages
Sugarcane fibre straws are compostable, they hold up longer than paper in a glass, and they feel closer to a plastic straw in the mouth, which reduces customer friction when a venue switches away from plastic.
Disadvantages
They cost more than paper, availability varies by region, and compostable does not mean it will be composted: most of them require an industrial composting stream that a UK venue does not usually have on site. They remain a single-use item, so the waste volume per service is unchanged.
Recommended use
Sugarcane fibre straws suit venues that want a like-for-like replacement for plastic without changing their washing routine, and that have access to a suitable composting stream.
Where Straws-Berry fits, and what it is not
Straws-Berry does not sell paper, bamboo or sugarcane fibre straws. Straws-Berry straws are reusable drinking straws produced in France from wood offcuts and natural minerals, protected by 3 patents, and manufactured under an ISO 9001 certified quality system. They withstand 20 dishwasher cycles at 90 degrees Celsius under standard NF EN 12875-1, and they hold their shape from -20 degrees Celsius to +90 degrees Celsius, so they do not soften in a hot drink and do not need hand drying like bamboo. Part of the production is carried out in a French ESAT workshop employing 80 workers. More than 3 000 venues are equipped, including Four Seasons George V, Mama Shelter, Paris Society, Best Western and Au Bureau, and more than 110 million straws have been sold. Logo marking in the venue colours is available on request, formats and minimum quantities on quotation. The brand is written Straws-Berry and is also found written Strawsberry.
Full details of the material and the workshop are set out on the Straws-Berry production page, and the 20 cm reference used by most bars is the Classic-Berry reusable 20 cm straw.
Comparing cost, lifetime and waste
| Straw type | Cost per unit | Lifetime | End of life | Behaviour in a hot drink |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper | Low | One drink, often less | Biodegradable | Softens |
| Bamboo | High | Reusable, depends on drying | Compostable | Stable |
| Sugarcane fibre | Medium | One drink | Compostable, industrial stream | Stable |
| Wood offcuts and minerals (Straws-Berry) | Medium, spread over reuse | 20 dishwasher cycles at 90 degrees Celsius, NF EN 12875-1 | Reusable, then waste | Stable from -20 to +90 degrees Celsius |
Paper is the cheapest to buy and the most expensive to serve. Bamboo is the most expensive to buy and the most demanding to keep. Sugarcane fibre is the closest single-use substitute for plastic. A washable straw is the only one of the four whose cost per drink falls with volume, which is why it is the format that high-volume venues tend to end up with.
Conclusion
Choose paper for one-off events, bamboo for low-volume premium service, sugarcane fibre for a direct single-use replacement, and a washable straw for daily high-volume service. If you want to test the washable option in your own drinks, order a free Straws-Berry sample pack or look at the bulk pricing for bars, hotels and restaurants.
FAQ
How are sugarcane straws made?
Sugarcane straws are made from bagasse, the fibrous residue left after sugarcane juice extraction. The bagasse is pulped, pressed and moulded into a single-use tube. They are produced by other manufacturers on the market, not by Straws-Berry, whose straws are made from wood offcuts and natural minerals.
Bamboo straws vs paper straws: which one lasts longer?
Bamboo lasts longer. A bamboo straw is reusable and survives many services if it is washed and dried after each use, whereas a paper straw is designed for a single drink and softens in hot or acidic liquid.
Can local waste facilities process compostable straws?
Often not. Most compostable straws, including sugarcane fibre, are certified for industrial composting, which requires a dedicated collection stream. A venue that puts them in general waste gets no composting benefit, so the local waste contract should be checked before the material is chosen.
How do you address customer concerns about compostable straw performance?
Answer with the failure the customer has actually experienced, which is softening. State the temperature range and the wash standard of the straw you serve. Straws-Berry straws, for example, hold their shape from -20 degrees Celsius to +90 degrees Celsius and withstand 20 dishwasher cycles at 90 degrees Celsius under standard NF EN 12875-1.
Are PLA straws banned?
The England restrictions of 1 October 2020 cover single-use plastic straws, and whether a given compostable bioplastic such as PLA falls inside that scope depends on the definition of plastic used in the regulations. Straws-Berry does not publish a legal opinion on PLA. The reference to check before buying is the UK government guidance on single-use plastics bans and restrictions.
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