Transcend Packaging helps cinema chain give plastic straws the curtain call

Packaging Solutions Green Solutions

Transcend Packaging has been selected to provide safe, sustainable paper straws to Showcase Cinemas’ 21 UK venues to replace plastic straws before the government ban comes into action in April.

Lorenzo Angelucci, CEO, Transcend Packaging, said: ‘Around five billion plastic straws are used every year in the UK. But the entertainment industry has lagged behind others in ditching plastic straws before they become illegal in April. We congratulate Showcase Cinemas for taking a stand and bringing in sustainable paper straws ahead of the ban.

‘We are proud to have created sustainably sourced, durable biodegradable paper straws that prevent vast quantities of needless plastic from being produced and becoming harmful pollution. As companies like Showcase Cinemas continue to invest in British made, high quality packaging made to the highest food safety standards, we can continue to innovate in creating more, sustainable packaging alternatives that deliver the changes that consumers and the planet deserve.’

Unlike unregulated imports, the straws will be made in the UK using FSC certified paper, which meets all of the UK and EU regulatory requirements for food safety.

Wayne Richardson, food and beverage director, Showcase Cinemas, said: ‘We are delighted to roll out Transcend Packaging’s straws at our cinemas across the UK. Our customers want to trust that they can enjoy the cinema experience with a drink by their side without having to rely on out dated plastic that can take almost 200 years to biodegrade.’

Eco friendly paper straws are just one sustainable packaging innovation to come from Transcend’s base in Caerphilly, Wales, which only opened its doors in 2018. The straws are available in wrapped and unwrapped variations to cater to the different formats and requirements of the entertainment industry.