Translucent paper designed for U-shaped straws: SWM International’s Straw Wrap Paper
Replacing the plastic wrapper on a drinking straw may appear insignificant. Still, when scaled across millions of units used every day in food service and beverage packaging, that small decision becomes meaningful. At SWM International, this mindset has driven the development of our straw wrap paper for straight and U-shaped straws, a solution designed to help brands transition away from flexible plastics in a simple, immediately actionable way.
From existing expertise to a new application
The trip began with existing know-how. SWM International had long been producing ultra-lightweight papers, and their exceptional properties: lightness, flexibility, and sealing performance, made the team realize it could be purposed for straw wrapping.
- White paper tailored for straight straws
- Translucent paper designed for U-shaped straws
SWM’s white paper has already been commercialized for straight straws, while the translucent, heat-sealable performance is developing strong interest among manufacturers and undergoing machine trials.
Meeting market demand for sustainable transition
This interest is pushed by a broader shift in consumer and regulatory expectations. Across Europe, brands are under growing pressure to reduce plastics in single-use packaging. Customers are also signaling a clear preference: surveys show that around 70% favor eco-friendly straw alternatives, and paper-based packaging is always perceived as more environmentally responsible than plastic-only formats.
For brands and converters, this makes the wrapper a prominent place to start. The switch is visible, meaningful, and aligned with sustainability messaging, yet it remains relatively easy to implement operationally.
Straw Wrap Paper: Designed for practicality and performance
A key benefit of SWM International’s straw wrap is its ultra-lightweight construction, which closely matches the thickness of plastic wraps and provides smooth compatibility with standard wrapping machinery.
This also contributes directly to SWM International’s environmental commitments. As Anne-Laure Jaeckel, Product Manager, explains: “Using ultra-lightweight papers reduces resource use, less fiber, less energy, and fewer residues. Two of our key ESG pillars are preserving natural resources and reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, and this paper supports both.”
While lifecycle studies occasionally show that paper and plastic have similar emissions profiles, this comparison rarely accounts for a critical factor: end-of-life behavior. Flexible plastic wraps, when not properly recycled, persist in the environment for decades, whereas paper breaks down far more readily. For many brands, this distinction is a key driver of their shift to paper-based solutions.
