In January 2025, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) officially released the international standard for bamboo drinking straws (ISO 16830:2025). This is the first ISO standard for "bamboo instead of plastic" products. It was developed by Chinese research institutions and bamboo industry representatives, standardizing design, manufacturing, testing, storage, and transportation for the first time.
(1) Three major technical challenges were addressed: the standard overcomes issues related to anti-cracking coatings, microbial control on the inner wall, and temperature resistance (-40°C to 200°C), with a service life exceeding 24 hours. This solves the common problems faced by paper straws, which tend to soften, and reduces costs associated with degradable plastic straws.
(2) Industrial upgrading benefits include removing export barriers caused by differing national standards. Currently, China's annual bamboo straw production exceeds 1.2 billion units, making up over 90% of global capacity. Its presence in European and American supermarket chains continues to grow.
