The ban on single-use plastic is going to be effective from July 1, and this will create a challenge for makers of cool beverages such as Frooti, Real, Tropicana, and Maaza, who attach small plastic straws to help buyers puncture the juice boxes and drink up.
Whichever substitutes are used, like attaching a paper straw or redesigning the juice box to a tear-the-seal-and-drink option, may force these companies to abandon their preferred, affordable price point of ₹10 per unit.
Moreover, many of these companies are finding it hard to source paper straws locally and are forced to import them from countries such as Indonesia, China, Malaysia, and Finland. This is because there is no sustainable alternative to integrated plastic straws available in the country today.
Hence, many beverage manufacturers have appealed to the government to postpone the implementation of the ban by at least six months, as this will allow packaging companies to build the right infrastructure needed to source paper straws locally. Even getting approval from regulatory bodies after appropriate testing to manufacture paper straws will require time. While the transition process has already begun, the short deadline is a matter of great concern.
In August 2021, the environment ministry notified plastic waste management rules, banning single-use plastic from July 2022. The ban covers plastic plates, cups, and cutlery; wrapping covers; PVC banners; stirrers; earbuds with plastic sticks; candy sticks; flag sticks; and cigarette pack wrappings.
Although the food industry has flawlessly moved to disposable wooden cutlery (mostly made using bamboo) by passing on the added cost to end-customers, beverage manufacturers are worried about the higher cost they may incur in the transition.
The percentage increase in cost could be around 122%. But if companies were to import the straws, the cost goes up by 259% and 278% for PLA and paper straws, respectively. PLA straws come under bioplastics as they are made from corn starch and are fully compostable. India produces and sells a total of 6 billion packs of juice boxes (with plastic straws attached) every year.
Dabur, Parle Agro, Coca-Cola (Maaza brand) and PepsiCo (Tropicana) sell nearly 60% of their fruit juices in small packs, as per industry estimates. “The Rs 10 price point offers very thin margins to beverage makers, but it helps them to connect with a wider customer base.”
At that price and quantity, beverage manufacturers will find it difficult to introduce a greener alternative. The industry needs to find innovative solutions to safeguard the environment.
According to Parle Agro, 1.3 million PLA, or paper straws, are made in India daily at present, as against the daily requirement of 6 million straws. Beyond cool beverage manufacturers, dairy companies also use carton boxes with straws to sell their products. A few pharmaceutical companies have products (like ORS drinks) that are sold in carton boxes with straws attached.
“The industry does not want to sell juice boxes without straws, as it will kill the purpose of serving the beverage in a clean carton, and if straws are not attached, consumers will use pen-tips, pins, or nails to open their juice boxes. That can be a bad customer experience.”
Coffee shop chains like Starbucks provide paper straws to their customers, but these are of a larger (6–8 mm) diameter. The challenge would be to create paper straws with a smaller diameter (3–4 mm) that do not cave in after a few minutes in a beverage.Plastic straw manufacturers are in a wait-and-watch mode.
They are hoping the government may extend the ban for at least a few months. But an appeal made by beverage manufacturers a few months ago fell on deaf ears. There is a good probability of the ban coming into effect in July. The government has not given much thought to the ban, but it has landed several industries in trouble. We’re trying to make biodegradable PLA straws… But it may be some time before we set up our production units, “he added.