Varanasi: A team of research scholars from IIT-BHU, Varanasi has developed eco-friendly straws to ensure a healthy way to enjoy your drink. It has come up with bamboo-made straws that have higher strength, longevity and thermal stability.
As an excellent alternative to the readily available paper and plastic straws, the IIT-BHU team, led by assistant professor Pradyut Dhar and research scholar Rohit Rai of the Department of Biochemical Engineering, has developed biodegradable straws from bamboo and agricultural wastes with the help of low-cost microwave technology.
Prof Dhar said plastic straws have harmful effects while those made from paper are environment-friendly but have a plastic coating on them and become unusable after getting wet.
"Keeping these problems in mind, bamboo straws were prepared that have high mechanical strength, reusability, decomposability, thermal stability and anti-fizzing. Bamboo is an easily available resource and is better from practical point of view along with being environment-friendly. It can become a better alternative to plastic straws," he added.
He said this research has bagged Indian patent under "Biodegradable bamboo-based drinking straws and a method of preparation thereof". "After bamboo, efforts are underway to make straws from paddy, wheat, mustard stalk and papaya waste," he added.
IIT-BHU director Prof Amit Patra has congratulated Dhar and his team. "This innovation is an important step towards 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and the indigenous technology is in line with national campaigns namely 'Make in India', 'Swachh Bharat' and 'Swasth Bharat'. It also makes a significant contribution towards making India plastic-free,". Prof. Patra said.
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