CCTV: Paper straws are hard to find, and polylactic acid straws enter the market

More than a year ago, what was called the strictest "plastic ban" in history came into effect, stipulating that the national catering industry prohibits the use of non-degradable disposable plastic straws

Paper straws are hard to find, and polylactic acid straws appear in the market

In a shopping mall in Beijing, the reporter visited a number of chain beverage stores and found that the once popular paper straws are rarely seen, and a degradable straw called PLA occupies the mainstream

A reporter from a beverage store observed and found that the appearance and hardness of this degradable straw called polylactic acid are almost the same as those of plastic straws

The clerk told reporters that its applicable temperature is about minus 10 ℃ to 70 ℃, and it can satisfy both cold and hot drinks.

According to the person in charge of a beverage brand, the purchase cost of their plastic straws is about 5 or 6 cents each, and the paper straws are about 7 or 8 cents, while the polylactic acid straws cost about 1 to 2 cents each.

Domestic paper straw orders shrink sharply, and production equipment is sold at low prices

One side is the expansion of polylactic acid straws, and the other side is naturally the loneliness of paper straws.

In a paper straw factory in Zhejiang, the reporter saw that only 5 of the 24 machines in the factory were turned on, and there were only two or three workers in production

Tian Rencai, production team leader of a paper product company in Zhejiang:

The output of this machine is at least 80,000 to 90,000 pieces per day, and at the busiest time, a machine can produce up to 140,000 pieces

Zhou Xiaoling, the person in charge of this paper straw business, told reporters that their business situation in the past year or so has been like a "roller coaster"

Zhou Xiaoling, general manager of a paper product company in Zhejiang:

From October 2020 to April 2021, the production capacity of paper straws can be three to five million per day, and hundreds of boxes of goods will be shipped every day

The domestic paper straw market has plummeted, causing Zhou Xiaoling's company to fall into a trough.

Su Hao, director of a bamboo handicraft factory in Shucheng County, Anhui Province:

We have changed our business since last year, and now we need a workshop to expand the production workshop of cutlery, forks and spoons

Short shelf life, decreased performance, and high scrap rate of polylactic acid straws

Paper straws are "failed", will the polylactic acid straws, which are highly expected by the industry, become a new substitute and occupy the market on a large scale? The reporter found in the interview that at present, the market performance of polylactic acid straws is far from meeting expectations, and more efforts are needed in the future

In the warehouse of a straw company in Yiwu, Zhejiang, Li Erqiao, the person in charge of the company, is discussing with the warehouse manager about the disposal of a batch of expired straws.

Li Erqiao, General Manager of a Commodity Co.

After New Year's Day in 2021, we have made some conventional stocks for conventional products, that is, degradable PLA straws, and have done more

Li Erqiao said that due to the higher price of polylactic acid straws, some dealers have resumed purchasing plastic straws in the absence of sufficient supervision
.

In the long run, with the advancement of supervision, the enhancement of environmental protection consumption awareness, and the reduction in the cost of degradable straws brought about by technological iterations, degradable straws still have considerable room for development in the future
.

Weng Yunxuan, Secretary General of the Degradable Plastics Professional Committee of China Plastics Processing Industry Association:

In 2020, the domestic production capacity of polylactic acid was only about 60,000 tons, and now the production capacity of polylactic acid is already 150,000 tons
.
With the increase in production capacity, the price of polylactic acid will also come down
.
I believe that as the cost-effectiveness of paper straws or biodegradable plastic straws increases, the dosage should gradually increase
.