KANEKA Biodegradable Polymer Green PlanetTM Adopted for Straws Used at Starbucks Japan

KANEKA CORPORATION
December 6, 2024
Kaneka Corporation (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Kazuhiko Fujii; hereinafter "Kaneka") has announced that straws using KANEKA Biodegradable Polymer Green PlanetTM (hereinafter "Green Planet") have been adopted by Starbucks stores in Japan, operated by Starbucks Coffee Japan, Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Takafumi Mizuguchi). Regular straws will be introduced first at 32 Starbucks stores in Okinawa Prefecture from January 23, 2025, and then gradually rolled out to all Starbucks locations across Japan from March 2025 onwards. The thicker straws used for seasonal Frappuccino®*1 beverages will also be introduced to stores nationwide (including Okinawa Prefecture) by early April 2025.

Green Planet is a 100％ biomass-derived biodegradable polymer developed by Kaneka based on our desire to provide environmentally friendly solutions that do not depend on petroleum resources. It is biodegraded into CO2 and water by microorganisms that live in soil and seawater, and so it has excellent biodegradability in a wide range of environments and contributes to solving environmental pollution problem caused by plastics, such as the problem of microplastics in the ocean.

Green Planet cutleries (for TO GO)*2 are used at Starbucks stores nationwide. In addition, Green Planet has been adopted for straws to achieve both customer experience and reduced environmental impact.

Based on our mission of "KANEKA thinks 'Wellness First'.", Kaneka provides value globally as a solution provider. Based on the development of technologies and applications using our proprietary polymer technology and biotechnology, we will contribute to the realization of a sustainable society by promoting Green Planet on a global scale.

                            　     
                                                                                       Straws used for Starbucks iced beverages
*1. Frappuccino is a registered trademark of Starbucks.
*2. Adoped for forks, knives, stirrers and spoons for yogurt at Starbucks stores nationwide