Agave by-product straws arrive ahead of plastic ban

By Pippa Haupt | 16 August 2022

Kaddy Marketplace has introduced a biodegradable straw made from the by-product of tequila production, Penka, ahead of the plastic straw ban in New South Wales and Victoria coming into force.

Penka straws are produced from upcycled Mexican agave fibre cellulose and are the world’s first-ever biodegradable straws made from agave fibres.

NSW will join the ACT, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia with a ban on plastic straws from 1 November, with Victoria following in 2023, and the Northern Territory in 2025.

This follows Queensland’s recently strengthened single-use plastics ban to include all disposable plastic shopping bags in July.

In Janurary, Western Australia phased out nine single-use plastic items, which saw plastic bowls, cups, plates, cutlery, stirrers, straws, EPS food containers, thick plastic bags, and helium balloons being banned in the state.

South Australia was the first state to implement a single-use plastics ban by prohibiting the sale, supply, and distribution of all single-use plastic products in March 2021.

This range of straws will be exclusively available to trade in Australia through wholesale platform Kaddy Marketplace.

Kaddy co-founder Rich Coombes said Penka straws innovatively used upcycled waste, as opposed to plant and food products and other raw materials.

“We’ve been working with the Penka team to bring the products to customers around Australia, and we’re really proud to be supporting a greener planet in the process. The Penka straws are a world first in beverage technology, using upcycled waste instead of plants and raw materials,” said Coombes.

Initially, the Penka range will be confined to straws, but more cutlery options are expected to be added to the range.

Penka biodegradable agave straws are available now for pre-sale on Kaddy Marketplace.