Taipei, Oct. 21 (CNA) The design and production of biodegradable straws made from sugarcane fiber by a Taiwanese company won a gold medal at an international invention fair in southern France earlier this month, as a ban on single-use plastic straws is set to go into force in 2020 in France.
The sugarcane straws developed by Ju-Tian Eco-Material Co., which was founded by Huang Chien-chung (黃千鐘), inventor of sugarcane straws, won a gold medal and a special jury prize at the first Concours Lépine Méditerranéen Montpellier.
The organizers of the fair praised the company for developing the product with zero waste by applying the concept of circular economy, low carbon emissions and low energy consumption.
According to the company's website, the biodegradable straws' raw materials are composed of sugarcane fiber and polylactic acid (PLA) and can withstand temperatures ranging from minus 20 degrees Celsius to 50 degrees Celsius and can be reused multiple times.
Huang said that after the company produced the first batch of sugarcane straws in July and awarded franchise rights, the product has enjoyed booming sales in Taiwan.
Meanwhile, product orders have been placed from overseas, including from Australia and Malaysia, making the company's contract manufacturing factory expand its production, according to a Liberty Times report Sunday.
However, the company will not change its policy of not establishing its own factory and will seek more partners for production of the product, the report said.
Taiwanese invention teams walked away with a total of two gold medals, three silvers and four bronzes from the invention fair, according to Taiwan's representative office in France.
In addition to sugarcane straws, the company also showcased straws made of coffee residue grounds and bamboo at the ChangeNOW 2018--International Summit for Change Sept. 28-29 in Paris, making it the only exhibitor from Asia in the show.
(By Tzeng Yi-shiuan and Evelyn Kao)
Enditem/J
