Palm Beach Eco Responsible Eateries Carry New Marine Biodegradable PHADE Drinking Straw - FREE SAMPLES AVAILABLE

‘Meet the Last Straw You Will Ever Need’ with phade®, a Breakthrough Marine Biodegradable, and Home and Industrial Compostable Drinking Straw Created with Canola-based PHA

Consumers receive free samples of phade® straws beginning January 3 to Celebrate National Drinking Straw Day

Stone Mountain, Ga. (December 19, 2020) – Consumers can now use straws in good conscience thanks to a revolutionary new drinking straw, phade®, created by WinCup, Inc. phade® is a breakthrough marine biodegradable drinking straw made with PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate), a substrate derived from canola oil. The straw is also compostable in home and industrial environments, and phade® maintains the feel and user experience of a traditional plastic straw.

Consumers are invited to “Meet Your Last Straw” and try phade® straws for free beginning on National Drinking Straw Day, January 3, 2021. Anyone who “likes” phade® on Instagram or “friends” phade® on Facebook will receive a free sample while supplies last. Visit phadeproducts.com to request your sample phade® straw.*

“WinCup is relentless in ever-improving its products to minimize environmental impacts while maintaining an optimal user experience,” said WinCup Chief Executive Officer Brad Laporte. “phade® is the last straw people will ever need. It is truly in a class of its own; this unique product biodegrades and composts in a matter of months while meeting consumers’ needs and high expectations without sacrificing performance. phade® is created with natural biopolymers, allowing it to return to nature as safely and as quickly as possible. We’re extraordinarily proud of what we’ve achieved with phade®.   WinCup’s scalability allows us to make this straw available nationally.”

The development of phade® involved a rigorous testing and certification process. This includes TUV AUSTRIA, a globally recognized independent 3rd party certifying body. TUV determined that the phade material will biodegrade in a marine or soil environment and compost in both industrial and backyard settings. BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute, Inc.) has also verified that phade® is compostable in an industrial environment. phade® also complies with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) food contact safety regulations for cold drinks.

The key to phade’s breakthrough is the use of the canola oil-based substrate PHA, created by Danimer Scientific. Its patented Nodax™ PHA is the first of its kind to be used at the industrial level. Danimer and WinCup received the 2020 Innovation in Bioplastics Award from the Bioplastics Division of PLASTICS (The Plastics Industry Association) for their joint work on phade®.

The emergence of phade® straws comes as demand increases for a viable alternative to a traditional plastic straw. Both paper straws and vegetable-based polylactic acid (PLA) straws present challenges that phade® overcomes. Paper straws lack durability, get soggy, and breakdown during long term use, and biodegradation performance varies. PLA straws are not marine biodegradable or home compostable, and excessive heat presents shipping and warehousing challenges.

“phade® will be a game changer in the food and beverage industry,” said Michael Winters, WinCup’s President and Chief Revenue Officer. “Businesses are looking for environmentally-friendly products that meet customers’ expectations. Without fail, those who try a phade® straw are amazed that a product so sturdy has such a minimal impact on the environment. We see tremendous potential for phade® as we continue to develop innovative, sustainable solutions for our industry.”

Already, since phade’s commercial launch on Jan. 3, 2021, Palm Beach County eco-responsible eateries have adopted the next sustainable straw solution. You can find phade and guilt-free, non-soggy sips when drinking at these local establishments: Blue Pointe Bar & Grill • Boca Raton Resort and Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort • The Butcher & The Bar • Dive Bar • E.R. Bradley's Saloon • The Palms at Polo Trace

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About WinCup, Inc.

WinCup, Inc. which is headquartered in Stone Mountain, Georgia, has recently been acquired by Atar Capital, a Los Angeles based global private equity investment firm. WinCup is a leading manufacturer of traditional and sustainable disposable cups, bowls, containers, lids, and straws. The company's eight manufacturing locations are committed to high-quality products and superior customer service. To learn more, please visit www.wincup.com and www.phadeproducts.com.

*Offer limited to United States of America. While supplies last.