Ju-Tian Eco-Material Co won a gold medal at an international inventors’ fair in southern France this month for the design and production of biodegradable straws made from sugarcane fiber.
The straws developed by Ju-Tian Eco-Material, which was founded by inventor Huang Chien-chung (黃千鐘), also claimed a special jury’s prize at the first Concours Lepine Mediterraneen Montpellier, which was launched after France announced a ban on single-use plastic straws from 2020.
The organizers said the company had developed a zero-waste product by applying concepts of a circular economy, generating low carbon emissions and using minimal energy.
Photo: Chen Fong-li, Taipei Times
The reusable, biodegradable straws’ raw materials are composed of sugarcane fiber and polylactic acid (PLA) and can withstand temperatures from minus-20°C to 50°C, the company’s Web site showed.
After Ju-Tian Eco-Material produced its first batch in July and awarded franchise rights, the straws have enjoyed booming sales in Taiwan, Huang said.
Product orders have been placed from overseas, including from Australia and Malaysia, forcing the company’s contract manufacturing factory to expand production, the Liberty Times (sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) reported yesterday.
However, Ju-Tian Eco-Material will not change its policy of not establishing its own factory and will seek more partners to produce the straws, the Liberty Times reported.
Taiwanese teams won two gold medals, three silvers and four bronzes at the fair, the Taipei Representative Office in France said.
Ju-Tian Eco-Material also showcased straws made of coffee grounds and bamboo at the International Summit for Change on Sept. 28 and 29 in Paris, making it the only exhibitor from Asia at the show.
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