A soggy paper straw was the beginning of a new business for a pair of Miami entrepreneurs.
It's an experience many can relate to. More than four years ago, Jordan Leeds was trying to enjoy a milkshake, but the paper straw he was sipping through quickly disintegrated into the beverage.
"It ruined his drink," said Brandon Leeds, Jordan's brother and co-founder. "We decided to make a better alternative that doesn't fall apart or taste like paper."
That sparked the creation of Sofi Products, named after Miami Beach's South of Fifth neighborhood. The Leeds brothers spent more than six months developing a prototype for a paper straw that was durable and environmentally friendly, the company's first product.
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The effort paid off: Sofi Products now sells to more than 4,000 business across the U.S. and Canada, including fast casual chain Pret a Manger and the convenience store Circle K. Headquartered in Miami Beach, the bootstrapped startup makes compostable paper straws and cups for the food and beverage industry.
Unlike plastic cups and utensils, Sofi's products are biodegradable. If you bury one of the paper straws after use, it will completely disappear into the soil within 90 days, Leeds said. The cups, which come in cold and hot versions, degrade in 180 days.
That's a huge advantage that ensures Sofi's straws and cups do not become an environmental burden. While several companies market plastic-free cups and utensils, those items may not make it to recycling facilities after use. Composting facilities don't exist in many areas of the U.S. either – another challenge. That's why Leeds wanted to ensure Sofi's products could be disposed of in a consumer's backyard after use.
"Some people might buy a product thinking they made a sustainable choice without understanding what it will really take for those products to break down," Leeds said.
Creating functional biodegradable options isn't easy — or fast.
Sofi's newest product, a lid-free cup for hot beverages, was four years in the making. Leeds said the company went through hundreds of prototypes before landing on the final design, which features three flaps that fold together to form a spill-proof spout. That eliminates the need for a separate plastic lid, a cost-saver for businesses. The cup also features a patent-pending locking mechanism that ensures excess liquid does not seep through the spout.
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Most of Sofi's customers are located in states leading the charge against single-use plastics, such as California, Oregon and Colorado. Canada is also phasing out plastic cutlery, straws, and food containers in an effort to reduce waste and protect the environment. Made from petroleum, plastic can take take hundreds of years to decompose. That pollution can harm wildlife, contaminate soil and groundwater, and damage human health.
The good news? Sofi is already making impact. Leeds estimates the company has already helped eliminate millions of plastic straws from circulation.
"Our goal is to show that being sustainable doesn't have to be inconvenient or expensive," Leeds said. "We want sustainability to be accessible to everyone and make it easy to make the switch from plastic."
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