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Miklos Tomka identifies the downside of paper straws, which may lead to the bigger question: do we need them? 

We at Matrix Pack are talking to many companies about paper straws. In those discussions we often talk about how paper straws are made and what raw materials are used. (The key raw materials of course are paper and special adhesives). In that context, I often get the question: “Like many other companies, Matrix Pack is using recycled paper to make straws, right? It is better for us, right?”.

This question alarms me as most people only think of recycled paper as the sustainable solution and do not consider that using recycled paper as a straw in our drink is very dangerous for our health as recycled paper contains cancer-causing materials. Dangerous heavy metals, fluorides, etc. are present in the original paper which are not only harmful to our health, but they are also not compliant with Food Contact legislations. These substances cannot be removed during the recycling process and also may accumulate, leading to high concentration levels.

Matrix Pack is in strict compliance with the “Charter of Trust for Paper Drinking Straws” (https://www.qualitystraws.eu/en/) which clearly states that safe paper drinking straws should be manufactured using paper exclusively made from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified non-recycled fibers. We will never put profits ahead of safety.

Fortunately, there are many companies who share our vision – safety first, profits second. But unfortunately, independent blind product tests prove it again and again that there are also many companies where profits are first (as recycled paper is much cheaper) and safety comes second.

What about you? Are you certain that your straw supplier is using only paper manufactured with FSC certified non-recycled fibers? Can you risk it, not to be sure?

Read the article, Paper straws are good for the environment – but are they also safe for you? Not all are!, on LinkedIn.