STONE MOUNTAIN, GA.—In a major win for eco-conscious consumers and sports fans alike, WinCup’s phade, the world’s first marine biodegradable, home, and industrial compostable Caribbean blue drinking straw, has achieved the “triple crown” for sustainable foodservice products at professional sports venues in 2022. These unique new straws are the preferred straw of choice at SoFi Stadium in LA—host of Super Bowl LVI, TD Garden in Boston—home of the 2022 NBA Finals, and now Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia—home of Major League Baseball’s World Series. This trifecta is in addition to phade’s appearance for the last two years at the Arthur Ash Stadium in New York City, home of the U.S. Tennis Open. These critical venues and many others highlight the growing popularly of the straw at professional sports venues across the country.
Made with PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate), a meaningful new biopolymer derived from the fermentation of canola oil, phade maintains the feel and user experience of traditional plastic straws but will safely biodegrade and return to nature very quickly. phade has become a part of many other professional sports venues’ sustainability story across the country, including Yankee Stadium—home of the NY Yankees, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Truist Park—homes of the Atlanta Falcons & Atlanta Braves, Gillette Stadium—home of the New England Patriots, and Lambeau Field—home of the Green Bay Packers, just to name a few.
“We are extremely proud that in less than two years we’ve gone from launching phade, the world’s most sustainable straw, to having it featured at all of the premier U.S. professional sports championships, plus so many other iconic sports stadiums across the country,” said Michael Winters, President & Chief Revenue Officer at WinCup. “phade has quickly become recognized as the go-to straw and stirrer, and one of the most environmentally responsible brands in professional sports. Plus, fans love that they can enjoy the game with a sustainable straw without having to sacrifice a positive user experience. We look forward to introducing phade to even more sports venues in 2023.”
Straws are Industrial Compostable
The development of phade involved a rigorous testing and certification process. TÜV AUSTRIA, a globally recognized independent third-party certifying body, certified phade as both industrial and home compostable in a matter of months. TÜV also certified the material from which the phade straw is made as marine biodegradable. Additionally, the Biodegradable Products Institute Inc. (BPI) has certified phade as industrial compostable.
“phade is proud to be a national leader in the sports and sustainability movement by providing stadiums, teams, and their fans with an eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastic straws,” said Brad Laporte, CEO of WinCup. “Unlike petroleum-based straws which take hundreds of years to biodegrade, phade straws will biodegrade in a matter of months in environments where bacteria are present and can use PHA as a food source. Results like this are what separate phade from the pack and into the company of pro sports championships.”
WinCup, a leader in foodservice products manufacturing, has won numerous awards for the development of phade, including the 2020 Innovation in Biopolymer Award from the Plastics Industry Association, and the 2021 Innovation in Foodservice Award for Sustainability Solutions from the National Restaurant Association. phade was also recognized as a finalist or honorable mention in four out of five categories in Fast Company’s 2021 World Changing Ideas Awards.
WinCup’s focus on sustainable solutions was bolstered in September 2020 when Los Angeles-based global private investment firm Atar Capital acquired the company. Among Atar’s core principles is a commitment to sustainability and investing in companies that work toward protecting the environment.
