Switzerland-based juice drink maker Capri-Sun Group is looking at “alternatives” to paper straws and is mulling a potential return to plastic in its home market.
Businesses operating in EU member states have to abide by the single-use plastic directive in the bloc. The rules, however, do not apply to non-member state Switzerland, where an unattached plastic straw would be allowed.
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A spokesperson for Capri-Sun told Just Drinks that as part of a planned changeover to recyclable mono-material pouches – introduced in March and made using polypropylene – it was examining the “possibility of replacing the paper straw with a plastic straw”, which would be made using the same polypropylene material.
“This would allow both the pouch and the straw to be easily recycled in the same recycling stream. As it currently stands, the paper straw would ‘contaminate’ the plastic recycling stream,” Capri-Sun’s spokesperson said.
Capri-Sun first introduced paper straws in the spring of 2021. In January, the group announced that it was packaging a “stronger” paper straw with its pouches to address “board feedback” on the straws.
“As part of our commitment to product development, we’re constantly looking for ways to improve the Capri-Sun experience and make our products more enjoyable,” Capri-Sun UK marketing manager Anke von Hanstein said at the time.
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By GlobalData“We’ve taken on board feedback from parents and have created a new paper straw, which is stronger than ever and will make it even easier for kids to enjoy our delicious Capri-Sun range.”
The juice pouch maker is owned by Swiss billionaire Hans-Peter Wild.
The Switzerland-based company has $1.4bn in annual external sales, 24 production sites worldwide and around 1,000 employees worldwide, according to its website.
Launched in 1969 by Wild’s father, it sells more than six billion pouches in more than 100 countries every year. Capri-Sun is licensed to different partners globally, including Kraft Heinz in the US.
In July, Capri-Sun was reportedly eyeing a sale of a minority stake in the business. The company was in talks with financial advisers to assess interest levels of potential investors, according to Bloomberg.
