+ STARAMAKI

Biodegradable drinking straws

Kilkis, GREECE

Staramaki SCE, a social cooperative based in Kilkis, Greece, utilizes local wheat byproducts to create biodegradable drinking straws, offering a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic straws.  ​
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In response to the EU’s plastic straw ban, staramaki showcases how the circular economy can address environmental, social, and economic challenges. By transforming agricultural waste into valuable products, staramaki closes resource loops and creates a sustainable circular ecosystem.  ​
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Now in its fifth year, the cooperative has provided decent work for over 20 individuals, demonstrating a low income inequality.​
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Through strategic partnerships, collaboration with local farmers and participation in European programs, Staramaki promotes sustainable production and cultivation, combats land degradation in rural Greece and enhances its production capabilities, exemplifing the transition to a circular economy for a more sustainable future of the manufacturing sector as a whole. ​ ​
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The HungryEcoCities project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement 101069990.