Yellowstone National Park will be offering a new kind of compostable straw in an effort to help protect its natural landscape, according to a release.
The park's service stations and concession locations will have Anu Drinkware straws available. They're made of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), which doesn't shed microplastics and can be composted either at home or at commercial facilities. On top of that, Anu says the straws are more durable than the usual paper alternatives.
PHA is made from the bacterial fermentation of sugars or lipids. The process includes a feast and famine cycle. Bacteria are fed in order to get them to multiply, but then they are provided an excess of carbon and limited nutrition.
This causes the bacteria to form PHA as a type of energy reserve that they can use during an anticipated period of starvation. Once the PHA granules are extracted, they can be sanitized and molded into a number of useful items.
PHA is being explored in packaging manufacturing, for example. It's even possible for organic waste to be a material input in the PHA manufacturing process.
Plastic waste is a massive environmental concern. Plastic items are routinely becoming safety threats for wild animals. Over time, items shed particles that end up in the food we eat. When ingested, microplastics can be a contributing factor to endocrine, immune, digestive, and reproductive health issues.
Products like PHA straws are an ideal fit for Yellowstone National Park, which sees millions of visitors annually and the trash that comes with them.
Eliminating single-use plastics is a challenge, but viable alternatives like PHA make it possible. Anu Drinkware was hopeful about being able to offer compostable alternatives at other parks following the successful launch at Yellowstone.
"This launch is more than just a product placement, it's a statement," said Anu CEO and founder Anthony Jabar in the release. "We're showing that it's possible to protect our most iconic landscapes while still delivering a great experience for guests."
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