Sustainability Statement

 

Sustainability is at our core. Our company mission says it all:

To rid the world of single-use plastic waste.

Supplies Express began with the realization that plastic pollution is overwhelming our environment and here to stay. We asked ourselves, “what can we do to help?” We tried doing the right thing with paper straws, but let’s face it: paper straws are inferior. It’s for that reason that we now manufacture biodegradable plastic straws under the brand KonzaWare Earth.

KonzaWare straws are made from renewable, sustainable wood pulp and do not contain any PFAS, heavy metals, or plant toxicity. The material we use is 100% TUV AUSTRIA OK Soil Biodegradable and Water Biodegradable certified. Our straws themselves are TUV AUSTRIA OK compost HOME, TUV AUSTRIA OK compost INDUSTRIAL, and BPI Industrial Compostable certified. As they are compostable, they don’t contribute to any plastic waste. Instead, they biodegrade, providing nutrients for the soil, decomposers, micro-organisms, and plants.

Since we’ve set out to provide alternatives to single-use plastics, our minority- and family-owned business has grown – and so has our mission. We’ve realized our impact doesn’t have to just stop at eliminating waste through our products, and we have set out to tackle our impact through our packaging, material handling, emissions, and local community by implementing circular economy business practices.

Packaging

We utilize a formal recycling program in our manufacturing facilities and offices, use recycled paper products for our straw tissue wrapping paper and case pack packaging as available, and use compostable bag inner packs to our case packs to ensure we’re fully committed to our goal of zero single-use plastic waste.

Material Handling

We have a commitment towards zero plastic resin loss in our manufacturing practices. We do this by implementing a workplace and handling policy, raising employee awareness and ensuring accountability, and investing in workspace and equipment upgrades.