Eco-friendly drinking straws from waste biomass by IIT-BHU team

Varanasi: Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, have achieved a breakthrough by creating environment-friendly drinking straws utilising bamboo and waste biomass.
These sustainable straws present a robust and naturally decomposable option to replace plastic and paper variants. The innovation was recognised with the granting of an Indian Patent titled "Biodegradable bamboo-based drinking straws and a method of preparation thereof."
Assiatant professor Prodyut Dhar, who led a team of researchers from the School of Biochemical Engineering at IIT (BHU), Varanasi, said: "As the world has become increasingly conscious of environmental sustainability, the food and beverage industry is actively seeking alternatives to harmful plastic straws. These conventional straws are non-degradable, generate microplastics, and pose serious health risks to both humans and ecosystems. Paper straws, often touted as eco-friendly, fall short due to their sogginess, mechanical fragility, and the presence of plastic coatings that can release microplastics... In response to these challenges, the team of researchers pioneered the development of bamboo-based drinking straws."
"These straws offer high mechanical strength, reusability, biodegradability, thermal stability, and anti-fizzing properties — all achieved using a cost-effective, microwave-assisted fabrication method. Bamboo is a highly renewable resource with low ecological impact and wide availability across India," said Dhar.
He said that the breakthrough work was recognised with the granting of Indian Patent No. 557472. The patented technology already underwent technology transfer for potential industrial production, with discussions ongoing to scale up for mass manufacturing and commercial deployment. In addition to bamboo, the lab is also exploring agro-waste biomass sources such as rice straws, wheat straws, mustard stems, and papaya waste. These variants demonstrated unique properties, including spoilage sensing and adulteration detection in beverages—highlighted in high-impact journals like iScience (Cell Press) and Food Chemistry (Elsevier).
Another complementary study, recently published in the Chemical Engineering Journal (Elsevier), showcases a gelatin-based composite derived from bamboo waste that further enhances straw durability, biodegradability, and thermal resistance. IIT (BHU) director Prof. Amit Patra, congratulated the team, stating, "This innovation is a significant step towards 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and 'Make in India', and it directly benefits society."