- Capri-Sun is examining potential replacements for plastic straws.
Capri-Sun, the beverage pouch makers, are reportedly investigating substitutes for the troublesome paper straw. A representative for the company, situated in Eppelheim near Heidelberg, stated, "It's premature to discuss a plastic straw comeback in Switzerland." Capri-Sun CEO Roland Weening shared with Switzerland's "Sonntagszeitung" that the company is working on reintroducing plastic straws in Switzerland and nearby nations.
Consumers have shown frustration with the current paper straws, finding them tricky to handle, easily softening, and imparting a papery flavor to the beverage. The shift to paper straws stems from an EU ban on single-use plastic straws that took effect in 2021.
No Plastic Straw Ban in Switzerland for Capri-Sun
Weening informed the newspaper, "We're striving to use a recyclable plastic tube once more, at least in Switzerland, where the ban doesn't apply unlike in the EU." He plans to do the same in neighboring countries and is pressing the EU Commission to grant Capri-Sun an exemption. "The plastic tube ban is beneficial, but it doesn't make sense in our situation." The company is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland.
At present, the company representative mentioned they're examining a scenario where consumers can dispose of both the beverage pouch and straw, both manufactured from polypropylene, into recyclable plastic waste. Polypropylene is a kind of plastic. Currently, the conventional 200-milliliter drink pouch also contains aluminum. The upcoming step involves manufacturing the drink pouch entirely from polypropylene.
The investigation by Capri-Sun into alternatives for their problematic paper straws is driven by concerns about the environment, as consumers have criticized the paper straws for being difficult to use, easily softening, and introducing a papery flavor to the beverage. Despite Weening's plans to reintroduce plastic straws in Switzerland and nearby nations, there currently is no plastic straw ban in Switzerland for Capri-Sun, as the company is pushing for an exemption from the EU Commission.
