The Restore brand of PHB-based straws and cutlery is now for the first time widely available to consumers looking for environmentally friendly foodware products.
Newlight Technologies, the California-based producer of the AirCarbon PHB material from which the Restore branded products are manufactured, has opted to partner with Target.
That retail corporation has now become Restore’s introductory retail partner. Restore’s AirCarbon straws are now available in 24-piece packs of wrapped straws; the new cutlery comes in 3-piece cutlery packs with a natural fiber carrying case, and both are sold at Target stores nationwide and on target.com
Manufactured in Southern California, AirCarbon straws and cutlery are dishwasher safe for reuse, never get soggy in hot or cold conditions, contain no plastic or glues, require no food crops for production, and are certified carbon-negative by SCS Global Services, reducing the net amount of carbon in the air through production.
PHB, or polyhydroxybutyrate, to give it its full name, is a biopolyester, a member of the PHA family, that is produced in many microorganisms as energy and carbon storage compounds. PHBs are biodegradable polymers and AirCarbon straws are certified home compostable and soil degradable. AirCarbon cutlery is dishwasher safe for reuse.
Since late 2020, Restore has been piloting AirCarbon straws and cutlery at locations across the United States, most recently announcing its pilot program with Shake Shack in March 2021.
“Our goal is to help end ocean plastic pollution by finding a shared middle ground,” said Mark Herrema, CEO of Newlight. “For us, that means making sustainable products that people love and that also work for the environment. This launch is the culmination of many years of hard work by many dedicated people.”