In the Straw Industry PK, Who Really “Wins”?

The wave of plastic bans has made people realize the importance of protecting the environment, while also driving updates and iterations in certain industries—the straw industry being one of them. Though small in size, the once-dominant PP plastic straw, when discarded at will, caused significant ecological damage.

With the progression of plastic bans, plastic straws exited the stage of history, giving rise to paper straws, PLA straws, and other alternatives. But each of these comes with its own set of problems. So what has this “competition” actually brought about?

The first replacement for plastic straws was the traditional multi-layer rolled paper straw. Its advantage was being “eco-friendly,” with prices only slightly higher than traditional plastic straws. But the disadvantages were obvious—poor soak resistance and easy collapse—which led to a terrible consumer experience and widespread criticism. As a result, its domestic market share declined sharply. Still, while this traditional version isn’t very popular now, paper straws do have a future, since environmental protection is the inevitable trend.

Next came PLA biodegradable straws, which are now more mainstream. Officially, they are promoted as renewable, fully biodegradable, and biologically safe, with a usage experience closer to traditional PP plastic straws. However, the current market reality is different: PLA’s degradability requires very stringent industrial composting conditions, which are rarely available at scale.

On top of that, PLA’s storage and cost are less than ideal. Pure PLA material is brittle and becomes fragile over time, prompting some manufacturers to add other components (sometimes plastics) into modified PLA. But this undermines PLA’s eco-friendly claims, making it a contradictory solution.

From a cost perspective, PLA straws on the market are around 0.1 RMB each, while heat-resistant PLA straws can cost up to 0.15 RMB—two to three times more expensive than plastic straws. For most businesses, this cost is a heavy burden, and in today’s environment, it undoubtedly raises operational expenses. So PLA straws may benefit consumers but come at the expense of merchants.

As for other types of straws—like wheat straws, stainless steel straws, and bamboo straws—stainless steel and glass straws are not suitable for most commercial use, and some bamboo options are also impractical. Moreover, the user experience of these reusable bio-based straws tends to decline over time. Cost is another issue: according to an industry insider, bamboo fiber straws can cost up to 0.2 RMB each, far more expensive than PLA straws, making them even less realistic for businesses.

Looking to the future, the industry may circle back to paper straws. Gaoyi’s new single-layer eco-friendly paper straws strike a balance between sustainability and user experience. They are heat- and soak-resistant, won’t crack, and remain odor-free. Environmentally, Gaoyi straws have been recognized by the Ministry of Science and Technology as achieving an “internationally advanced level of naturally degradable paper straws.” With such advantages, their market prospects look highly promising.