Compostable straw maker expands with plant for PHA cutlery

Iranpolymer/Baspar  Kent, Wash.-based compostable straw manufacturer Eagle Beverage and Accessory Products LLC has opened an injection molding plant to expand into the market for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) cutlery.

The facility poises the privately held, certified minority- and women-owned business to significantly increase its production capacity to meet the growing demands for home compostable cutlery, a news release says.

The company ramped up operations after being awarded a share of the PHA-based cutlery business from one of the world’s largest quick-service restaurants.

“Our experience in PHA straw manufacturing has provided us with invaluable insights and capabilities that we’re now applying to cutlery production,” Aisha Kabani, Eagle Beverage executive vice president, said in the release.

The manufacturer uses the Nodax brand of PHA, a proprietary resin from Danimer Scientific, which says it can be composted in residential, industrial and marine environments, making it a sustainable option to traditional single-use plastics.

Eagle Beverage already is manufacturing and shipping Nodax single-use forks, knives and spoons to customers who have been waiting for products to fill the need, Kabani said.

With the new operation, the company is taking a significant step toward reducing plastic waste and promoting a more circular economy, she added.

“We’re thrilled to bring Nodax PHA-based cutlery to the market at scale,” Kabani said. “Our new state-of-the-art manufacturing plant allows us to meet the growing demand for sustainable PHA-based single-use utensils while maintaining the quality and performance our customers expect.”

Eagle Beverage was one of the first PHA-based straw producers in the world to using Danimer Scientific’s resins. The release says the company successfully commercialized Starbucks PHA-based straws in North America using Nodax PHA-based resins.

Danimer Scientific CEO Stephen Croskrey said the company is proud to be a part of the efforts.

“Eagle Beverage has made a significant investment with new world class equipment to make PHA-based cutlery on a commercial scale. Our long-standing partnership began with the launch of marine and home compostable PHA-based straws. We are now very excited to help Eagle Beverage bring home compostable cutlery to the marketplace,” Croskrey said.

Founded in 1970 to serve the specialty beverage industry with straws and syrups, teas, frappes, cocoa and cider, Eagle Beverage began operations in Seattle then came under new managers in 2002 who won major national contracts for straws and beverage products.

The company moved go a 55,000-square-foot facility in Kent in 2008 and began private-lable beverage production domestically followed by overseas production in 2014.

Three years later, the company moved again, this time to a 100,000-square foot facility in Kent, where it began manufacturing personal care items in 2020.

sustainableplastics