Many straw producers are unaware of the responsibilities they undertake when selecting straw wrap paper. Not only are you responsible for delivering a well-packaged straw, but there are many safety and environmental regulations that offer both the government and consumers the assurance that you are using a product that is safe, environmentally friendly and functional.

Keep reading for more considerations and tips for choosing a straw wrap paper provider.

Is it FDA-approved? Does it meet other requirements?

Because straw wrap paper is a food-contact product, it’s important to choose a provider that has FDA approval and operates under the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene. Although many straw manufacturers are not aware of it, they are responsible for making sure their raw materials are FDA Approved. Be sure to look for FDA Title 21 (CFR), parts 176.170 and 176.180 which deal with paper components that are coming in contact with aqueous and fatty foods (170) as well as packaging dry food (180) and comply with REAcH to be sure the straw wrap does not contain chemicals that are harmful to humans or the environment.

At Flexlink, we take cleanliness seriously in the manufacturing and packaging of food-contact products. Just one of the steps we take to ensure maximum cleanliness and purity is to roll our straw wrap paper on plastic cores to eliminate dust or foreign particles. Others use fiber cores, which are more likely to shed material particles onto the paper.

In addition to being FDA approved and manufactured in a facility clean enough to process food, the manufacturer should certify that the paper does not contain materials derived from animals or genetically modified plants. The straw wrap paper should also come with an SDS or Safety Information sheet.

Finally, it is a good idea to make sure your supplier is ISO 9001 Certified to be sure they have appropriate quality systems in place in case of a recall or other quality issue.

Is it PFOA-free?

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) are members of a chemical group in Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – chemicals that are used as an ingredient in a variety of everyday products.

A large number of studies have been conducted to examine the harmful effects of this chemical on humans. Within the past few years, the FDA announced the voluntary phase-out agreement with manufacturers on certain PFAS used in the food packaging industry.

Currently, PFOA and PFOS are no longer manufactured in the United States, but they are produced internationally. This may present an issue in finding a paper manufacturer that does not include PFOAs.

Where is it made? Is it strong enough?

Straw wrap paper made in certain parts of the world tends to be of higher quality than paper made in other countries. Specifically, straw wrap paper manufactured in Western European countries like Germany is known to be superior to paper made in Asia or South America.

Why? The quality of the straw wrap paper is directly linked to the tree it was made from. Softwood fibers from regions with long growing seasons create stronger paper. The tree species matters too. Long fiber softwood fibers have more strength than Eucalyptus and other less expensive fibers. Meanwhile, slitting the paper into extremely narrow rolls with large diameters, requires intricate and highly technical converting equipment. Lower technology equipment with manual adjustments results in rolls without perfectly flat edges and other inconsistencies that lead to slower wrapping speeds and quality related downtime.

At Flexlink, our German-made straw-wrap paper uses 100% virgin cellulose, ensuring maximum strength for quick, no-tear wrapping. The converting equipment used to slit master rolls into narrow bobbins is state of the art and the roll quality is perfect each and every time.

How well does it crimp?

Similar to the conversation on fast run times, the paper’s strength and durability also plays a role in its ability to be crimped. Paper that is fragile and weak easily tears when crimped. This forces straw manufacturers to slow down line speeds or deal with intermittent starts and stops. This results in disappointed customers, frustrated operators and supervisors, as well as poor profits. On the other hand, paper with strong fibers will be able to withstand fast crimping and packaging processes and production lines will run smoothly and effortlessly.

Some straw wrap users use wider than required rolls of paper (28mm paper in place of 27mm paper, for instances) than required to make-up for the deficiencies associated with lower quality paper. While losing 1mm of paper may not seem like a lot, a few percentage points (3.7% in our example) of waste really adds up over the course of a year. Be sure you are with a supplier that allows you to use the narrowest possible paper for the greatest possible yield.

Does the provider have a consistent stocking program?

Many specialty paper providers are not able to fulfill just-in-time delivery needs because of a lack of warehousing or efficient logistics in shipping the products from overseas. This creates a few unnecessary implications for their customers, including potentially lowering their straw wrap tissue’s inventory turnover and consequently decreasing profitability for their drinking straw product line.

At Flexlink, we stock paper in Cleveland in a warehouse and deliver skid by skid. We can stock straw wrapping tissue for just-in-time deliveries of quantities down to 1000 lbs. This reduces our customers’ inventory, increases their straw wrap tissue’s inventory turnover, and improves overall profitability for their drinking straw product line.

Is the straw wrap paper biodegradable?

If the trees used to make the straw wrap tissue are made of 100% wood pulp, then there’s a good chance that the tissue is biodegradable. Flexlink offers a 100% virgin product that is recyclable and biodegradable. Our straw wrap product always comes from sustainable forests that are both PEFC Certified for international sustainability and Responsibly Forest Certified so we can guarantee customers that our wood fibers are renewable and sustainable. Moreover, by using an elemental chlorine free whitening process, customers know that no harmful chemicals such as chlorine or other chemicals are being released into the environment.

Summary/Checklist

In summary, selecting the right straw wrap tissue is much more difficult than it seems. Straw manufacturers are responsible for sourcing straw wrap that is safe and meets all regulations. Additionally, you want to be sure that you are sourcing the highest quality products with the backing of world-class service to be sure your plant runs as efficiently as possible. Here is a checklist to use when selecting a straw wrap vendor.

• Is there documentation to show that the straw wrap paper meets FDA Regulations?
• Is the straw wrap produced in a facility that is food-safe?
• Is the straw wrap supplied on plastic cores?
• Is the tissue certified to be manufactured without ingredients derived from animals?
• Has the supplier certified that they are not adding genetically modified ingredients?
• Is the supplier ISO 9001 certified?
• Is the paper REACH certified?
• Where is the paper made? If the paper does not come from Western Europe, be careful.
• Be sure the paper contains little or no hardwood or eucalyptus fibers
• Check the roll quality. Are the edges of the rolls perfectly flat?
• Does the paper crimp well?
• Are you able to use the narrowest possible paper? Or will you use wider paper to compensate for poor paper quality that causes runnability issues?
• Can your supplier stock paper here in the United States? Or do you have to carry excess inventory to handle demand fluctuations and international shipping bottle necks?
• Is the straw wrap biodegradable?

Partner with Flexlink for the Highest Quality Straw Wrap

At Flexlink, we are proud to offer premium straw wrap paper under our FlexTrue™ line of compostable papers. This lightweight tissue is offered at 24 gsm and comes pre-slit in tightly wound and soundly packaged bobbins with a slitting tolerance down to +/- .2mm (.008”) and meets the highest safety, quality and environmental regulations.

Contact us today to learn more about our FlexTrue™ straw wrap paper or to request a quote!