Sedge straws are the perfect, eco-friendly and 100% biodegradable alternative for single use plastic straws. In Europe, the use of plastic straws is forbidden since the ‘single use plastic ban’ came into effect on July 3rd 2021. Luckily, Sedge straws are the perfect replacement! With the same firmness as plastic straws, without the negative impact on our environment. 

But how are Sedge straws made to get and maintain their firmness? You’ll discover this and much more in this blogpost! 

Step 1 – Growing Sedge

Without sedge, no straws. So the first step in the production process is growing sedge! The reed where Sedge Straws are made from, grows in the river banks of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. It needs a lot of water to grow, so the Mekong Delta is by far one of the best places for sedge to grow. 

When the sedge is fully grown, and has about one to three meters of height, it’s harvested manually by local farmers.

Step 2 – Cutting and cleaning

After harvesting, the sedge is cut to specific lengths. Sedge Straws have three different lengths: 15cm for Short drink straws, 20cm for Long drink straws, 25cm for Bottled drink straws. Next up: cleaning the straws, inside and out. Without the use of any chemicals! 

Step 3 – Disinfect with salt

After the cutting and cleaning, the straws are disinfected with a solution of water and salt. Did you know salt is a very effective and 100% natural way to kill and remove bacteria? That’s why people pickle or brine meat with salt, for example. 

Stap 4 – Air-dried in a drying oven

After their salt water bath, sedge straws need to get their firmness back. During the drying process all the internal moisture is extracted from the straws.

The drying takes place in a drying oven where the straws are air-dried at a constant temperature of around 60°C.

By doing this, mold can’t develop as a result of different settings such as during transportation and storage of the straws. This improves the longevity of our product! 

Step 5 – Revitalise in open air 

After the drying process, the straws are exposed to open air. This helps them to slowly cool down after drying, maintaining their natural characteristics and it’s a chance for the final moist to evaporate.

Step 6 – Antibacterial treatment with UV light 

The final step in the production process of Sedge straws, is one last antibacterial treatment with UV light. Although UV light is very damaging for the human skin, it has the capacity to kill bacteria and other microorganisms. Modern hospitals even use UV light robots to disinfect operation rooms. So it’s a very effective, and most importantly, all natural antibacterial treatment.

Step 7 – Quality control

This may just be our favorite step, because how do you check Sedge Straws on their quality? By using them in a mocktail or cocktail of course 😉 

Quality is one of our most important values. As soon as the straws check all our quality boxes, they are packed up and ready to be delivered to you and your favorite restaurant or bar!  

And this is how Sedge Straws are made! 

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