"Paper Straw That Doesn't Even Puncture... I Drank After Piercing It with a Pen"

Paper Straws Introduced for Eco-Friendly Purposes Face Complaints
"Paper Taste in Drinks," "Uncomfortable to Use Due to Flimsiness"
"Coating Prevents Recycling"…Some Question Effectiveness

As more companies adopt paper straws for environmental reasons, consumers have consistently expressed opinions that 'paper straws cause inconvenience when using products.'

The paper straw bent while making a hole in the drink 'Capri Sun'
Photo by Twitter

Last February, Nongshim introduced eco-friendly paper straws for the beverage 'Capri Sun.'

Nongshim expected to reduce plastic usage by about 30 tons annually by replacing existing plastic straws with paper straws.

However, recently on social media (SNS), numerous posts have complained that it is impossible to drink Capri Sun beverages with paper straws due to inconvenience.

When trying to pierce a hole with the paper straw, it keeps bending, making it ultimately unusable.

There were also 'bittersweet' stories such as "I just cut it with scissors to drink," and "I poked a hole once with a pen and then inserted the straw."

In addition, complaints about paper straws continue to appear, such as "The paper straw is too flimsy," and "The paper taste is too strong when drinking the beverage."

"Too soggy"... Complaints about paper straws, do they really help protect the environment?

Starbucks paper straw
Photo by Yonhap News

So far, some companies have introduced paper straws with the purpose of reducing plastic use and protecting the environment by promoting 'eco-friendliness.'

Beyond criticisms that they cause inconvenience in product use, some argue that paper straws are hardly considered truly eco-friendly products.

Recently, many companies and stores have been using paper straws coated inside and out with synthetic resin to prevent them from dissolving when wet with liquids.

Such resin-coated straws are classified as general waste, making recycling difficult, and if the coating material is non-biodegradable plastic, it could release microplastics into the ocean.

Even if uncoated, straws contaminated and soggy from beverages are generally classified as general waste, making recycling difficult.

As doubts about the eco-friendliness of paper straws arise, there are calls to find ways to reduce straw usage itself rather than blindly replacing plastic with paper.

There are also opinions that using reusable straws made of stainless steel or silicone would be more environmentally friendly.

Capri Sun uses '100% biodegradable pure paper straws'... "Working on improving inconvenience"

However, the paper straws used in Capri Sun contain no synthetic resin and are uncoated, making them 100% biodegradable pure paper straws.

Nongshim stated, "For the straws causing inconvenience to consumers, improvement work is underway," adding, "We will apply improved straws throughout the year to resolve consumer inconveniences."