The researchers said their straws are easy to mass-produce and could quickly replace current products in response to new regulations designed to limit single-use plastics.

Many of the paper straws that are currently available to buy are typically coated in polyethylene (PE) or acrylic resin – the same material used for making plastic bags and adhesives. This is because straws made of paper alone become soggy when they come in contact with liquids, thus losing their core functionality.

Previous studies have reported that polyethylene coating on discarded paper cups can disintegrate into small particles without being fully decomposed and thus become microplastics in the environment.

To develop the new straws, the researchers synthesised a common biodegradable plastic - polybutylene succinate (PBS) - by adding a small amount of cellulose nanocrystals to create a coating material.

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