(Photo: Jose Cuervo’s drinking straw made from upcycled agave fiber. Credit: Jose Cuervo on YouTube)[/caption] Tequila company Jose Cuervo has previously upcycled agave fiber from its production process into surfboards, guitars, and car parts. Recently the brand expanded into making drinking straws with an agave bio-based composite.
Agave has three components — carbohydrates, fiber, and moisture, explains Alex Coronado, master distiller and head of Jose Cuervo Distilleries, in a YouTube video. “So the name of the game here is to extract those carbohydrates, convert them into fermentable sugars, and turn come out with tequila.”
The tequila industry generates around 1 million tons of spent agave fibers annually, says Ana Laborde, CEO and founder of BioSolutions Mexico and Penka. Jose Cuervo collaborated with scientists at BioSolutions Mexico and the production team at Penka to create drinking straws from the fiber.
Laborde said the project partners view the fibers as a main raw material instead of agricultural waste. The new straws replace around one third of the polymers used in traditional straw production, Jose Cuervo says. These agave bio-based ones take within one to five years to decompose in landfill conditions, Laborde noted, which is 200 times faster than regular plastic straws.
“The agave-based straws feature a mouthfeel and texture similar to traditional plastic straws, with the agave fibers visibly creating a natural, organic tan color,” according to Jose Cuervo.
This year, the tequila brand expects to roll out millions of the biodegradable agave-based straws at bars, restaurants, and events throughout the United States and Mexico.
Good news: The deadline for the 2020 Environment + Energy Leader Awards has been extended to January 20! Get details about submitting your entry here.
