Ditch the Plastic! What is Eco-Friendly Wheat Straw?

At BrandHK we are constantly testing new products and materials to try and reduce our impact on the environment, and deliver better business outcomes for our customers. In 2015 we put our first eco pen into our catalogue, leading the market for the new trend in environmentally responsible products. In 2020 we launched a range of plant-fibre pens, pens made from natural materials instead of plastic or metal. Since then we have continued to add more non-plastic alternatives to give our customers, covering everything from kitchenware to stationery to electronics. But what are these plastic alternatives and why should the promotions industry be interested?

What is Wheat Straw Plastic?

And here`s the science! The keyword to remember here is Lignin, the material that makes wheat, bamboo and maize plants stand tall. New production processes are harnessing the natural rigidity in plants to create new materials that are biodegradable, food-safe, hard-wearing and that can be easily shaped. The great thing is that lignin-rich materials, like wheat straw, can be used to make products that were traditionally made with plastic. This means we use less fossil fuel chemicals to make the original product.

Is Wheat Straw Plastic Bio-degradable?

Another incredible benefit of Wheat Straw is that it is naturally biodegradable. You cannot compost it at home but plant fibre materials typically decompose in 6-9 months in industrial composting facilities. In nature they take a few years to break down, but that is a lot less than the 200 years it takes for a plastic straw to decompose.
But even better news is that Wheat Straw products can simply be recycled! The material can be ground back down into pellets and remoulded into another product. That Wheat Straw promotional pen will have another life as a promotional lunch box!

Why should Promotional Gifts Buyers use Wheat Straw?

What makes promotional gifts so effective is that they last for a long time. An average customer will keep a printed promotional pen for 6 months to a year. We still see customers wearing promotional caps that we made five years ago! Corporate gifts are inherently more sustainable because they are not single-use items, but what happens to them at the end of their life? Customers are increasingly concerned about environmental impacts - particularly younger customers. So when customers no longer need or want their corporate gift, it should have a low or zero impact on the environment.

What Plastic-Alternative Products are there?

Here is a selection of some of the products in our catalogue. We have picked from our most popular categories. Not all the products are wheat straw, but all offer alternatives to plastic that will help you form a more responsible brand.