About KAC

While other alternative straws improve on the traditional plastic model, we believe paper straws retain several undeniable advantages over these alternatives due to several factors:

1. Food concerns. Alternatives such as bamboo and sugar cane uses food resources to create straws that could otherwise help those in need. Straws using food resources also have an expiration date, limiting shelf-life—a restriction that paper straws do not have.
2. Health concerns. Straws created using food resources have the potential for mold and the risk of bacterial growth. Customers may also have allergies to certain food materials used in creating the straws, which may cause potential long-term challenges for businesses.
3. True paper straws are 100% plastic-free. Although there are other alternatives, many of these alternatives have high levels of bio-plastics blended into their products, such as PLA and BioPBS, which can only be composted in industrial composting facilities. Often, they are considered “contaminants” because it takes much longer to break down than food waste.

Soilable Paper Straws differ from other straws in the market because of their quality, reputation, and the features and options available to our customers.

Soilable Paper Straws are made primarily of paper, along with a thin water barrier layer, and without the use of glue. The water barrier layer is entirely plastic-free and harmless to the environment, while other paper alternatives have bioplastics blended in their products, such as “biodegradable” material, PLA, and BioPBS. The important distinction is that bioplastic coatings can only be composted in industrial composting facilities under certain conditions. Often, bioplastics are considered “contaminants” because they take much longer to break down than food waste, and they could pollute the recycling streams because of their unique properties.

Through the repetitive testing of our straws, we have been able to design for and achieve outstanding longevity, allowing our straws to last over 3 hours without the sogginess you find in typical paper straws. They are capable of withstanding the heat in hot drinks (up to 80°C) and cold drinks. We are also able to digitally print logo and other marketing materials on our paper straws, while other straws on the market cannot.

Soilable digital printing is where we work with you to create any customization requested (i.e. your company logo) and use food grade ink to print the requested customization on your paper straws. The finished product is paper straws that are uniquely yours! There are many potential marketing opportunities because not only are you promoting environmental sustainability for your business, you are also able to market your brand!

Soilable Paper Straws are made of FSC certified non-wood paper and have also passed the EN 13432 standard, which defines compostable packaging materials by the following characteristics:

• Biodegradability: the capability of the packaging material to be metabolically converted into carbon dioxide;
• Disintegratibility: fragmentation and loss of visibility in the final compost (absence of visual pollution);
• Absence of negative effects on the final compost: reduction of the agronomic value and presence of ecotoxicological effects on plant growth.

Not only can Soilable Paper Straws decompose, but they can also be recycled along with other paper products. Soilable Paper Straws have received a “Pass” rating in the Repulpability Recycling test conducted by West Michigan University indicating that almost 100% of the paper in the paper straw can be recovered.

Soilable Paper Stirrer Straws have received the Good Design Award 2020 for being the first coffee stirrer made from paper without soggy mouthfeel after sitting in hot coffee/tea for an hour. They are a great alternative to plastic/wooden stirrers.

The decomposing process may take up to 6 months to complete whether it’s in an open pile or a compost bin, depending on the composition of the compost pile and surrounding conditions.

We are strongly against littering;. however, Soilable Paper Straws are truly plastic-free and do not contain any bioplastics. They are designed to be harmless and can biodegrade in a natural environment. Test results are shown below:

• In soil, the paper will take approximately 3 months to biodegrade in ambient temperature (25-30 degrees C), while the plastic-free and harmless barrier coating may need more time to disintegrate.
• In the ocean, the disintegration process will be completed in about 2 months.

Unfortunately, biodegradation isn’t the solution to the landfill crunch. Most modern landfills are anaerobic, so that little material actually degrades. Some startling facts through excavation of landfill sites across North America have uncovered that 10-year-old carrots are brown on the outside but bright orange on the inside, and 20-year-old steaks still have meat on the bones.

Instead, waste diversion is the answer. We need to divert as much waste as possible from our landfills. Soilable Paper Straws are designed to be recyclable to adhere to zero waste mandates. They have passed the Repulpability Recycling test conducted by West Michigan University, indicating that almost 100% of the paper in the paper straw can be recycled to produce other paper products.

• KAC is based in Toronto, Ontario
• We distribute our products across Canada
• Please contact us at info@kacsupply.ca to discuss further