9th December, 2019 by Melita Kiely

Tequila brand Jose Cuervo has unveiled a biodegradable drinking straw made from upcycled agave fibres as part of a new campaign, called The Agave Project.

The Agave Project launched last week, and is Jose Cuervo’s commitment to supporting the land and people of Tequila and Mexico.

As part of the project, Jose Cuervo will roll out “millions” of agave-based straws across bars, restaurants and Jose Cuervo events throughout the US and Mexico in 2020, in a bid to cut down on plastic straw use.

The straws were created in partnership with scientists at Bio Solutions Mexico and the production team at Mexico-based Penka.

Jose Cuervo straws are made with an agave bio-based composite that replaces around a third of the polymers used in traditional straw production.

The material decomposes up to 200 times faster than regular plastic. Microorganisms can consume the straws, meaning they can completely biodegrade within one to five years in landfill conditions.

Alex Coronado, master distiller and head of operations at Jose Cuervo, said: “As the Tequila industry worldwide booms, it is our company’s responsibility as the leader to take care of the agave plant and ensure that we are producing Tequila sustainably.

“It takes an average of six years to grow an agave plant before it is mature enough to harvest for Tequila production and we have to be committed to finding more ways to use the agave fibres once that process is complete.

“The debut of our biodegradable, agave-based drinking straws is a new step in utilising the full potential of this very special Mexican agricultural product.”

In May this year, the UK government confirmed it will ban plastic straws and stirrers in England from April 2020.