NEW YORK – WinCup, Inc., today announced that it was partnering with the New York Yankees and Legends Hospitality to provide its phade® straw — an ecologically preferable non-petroleum, non-forest-based bio-plastic product — to concessions stands at Yankee Stadium. The phade® straw is a marine biodegradable, home & industrial, compostable drinking straw made with PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate), a biodegradable biopolymer derived from the fermentation of canola oil. These straws maintain the convenience of petroleum-based plastic straws but with lower greenhouse gas production impacts and less risk to marine life and ecosystems. The phade® drinking straw is certified for composting commercially and for at-home composting.
The introduction of the phade® straw at Yankee Stadium will further the venue’s award-winning and globally recognized sustainability initiatives, including its commitment to achieving zero waste and promoting a circular economy based on composting and recycling. Through the dedicated efforts of Stadium staff, fans, and the Yankees’ recycling and composting partners, approximately 85 percent of the Stadium’s total waste is diverted from landfills and incinerators, making Yankee Stadium one of the most environmentally responsible venues in all of sports.
“The global plastics pollution crisis has been building for decades as plastic debris has been identified everywhere from Arctic snow to the deepest points in the ocean. Most significantly, the greenhouse gas emissions from the production of petro-plastics raises global temperatures, which has profound deleterious effects on the health and well-being of people around the world. Yankee Stadium’s shift to a less impacting bio-based option for those who request a straw is a small but meaningful ecological step in the right direction that, hopefully, other businesses will emulate,” said Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, Environmental Science Advisor for the New York Yankees.
According to WinCup, phade® has quickly become the environmentally preferable straw of choice for multiple professional sports venues, teams and events, including SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, home of this year’s Super Bowl, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Gillette Stadium in New England, and the 2021 PGA Championship in Kiawah Island, South Carolina.
“We continue to see the tremendous impact phade® is having across the sports industry and the positive reaction from fans discovering our unique sustainable Caribbean blue straws and stirrers,” said Michael Winters, WinCup President and Chief Revenue Officer. “The New York Yankees is one of the most well-known sports brands globally and the franchise is to be commended for using that influence to positively impact the environment. It is an honor for WinCup to partner with the Yankees as the 2022 season gets underway and provide a meaningful solution to help address the global plastic pollution crisis. The technology behind phade® is unlike any other straw alternative because it’s formulated with PHA, which acts as a food source for bacteria, allowing for faster decomposition in bacteria rich environments in a matter of months. Based on the success of our phade® straws there will be more innovative phade® products coming in the future.”
WinCup has also won numerous awards for the development of phade® straws including: the 2020 Innovation in Bioplastics Award from the Plastics Industry Association, the 2021 Innovation in Foodservice Award for Sustainability Solutions from the National Restaurant Association, and most recently, phade® was recognized as a finalist or honorable mention in 4 out of 5 categories in Fast Company’s 2021 World Changing Idea Awards.
WinCup’s focus on sustainable solutions was bolstered in September 2020 when Los Angeles-based global private investment firm Atar Capital acquired the company. Among Atar’s core principles is a commitment to sustainability and investing in companies that work toward protecting the environment.
“We are incredibly proud to see WinCup Inc., and phade® join forces with iconic brands like the New York Yankees that share our mission of changing the world for the better,” said Cyrus Nikou, Founder and Managing Partner of Atar Capital.
About WinCup, Inc. and phade®
WinCup, Inc. is headquartered in Stone Mountain, Georgia and is a leading manufacturer of traditional and Eco-Friendly disposable cups, bowls, containers, lids, and straws. The company’s eight manufacturing locations are committed to high-quality products and superior customer service. To learn more, please visit www.wincup.com and www.phadeproducts.com.
Phade® straws & stirrers is certification by TÜV AUSTRIA, a globally recognized independent third-party certifying body, as both industrial and home compostable. TÜV also certified the material from which phade® straws is made from, as marine biodegradable. Additionally, the Biodegradable Products Institute Inc. (BPI) has certified phade® as industrial compostable.
Vision of Sustainability in Yankee Stadium
The New York Yankees organization recognizes our responsibility to protect and promote the well-being of our community. Accordingly, the Yankees remain committed to inspiring our partners, players, fans and employees to create a sustainable environmental legacy.
In pursuit of these goals, the Yankees seek to measure and minimize identifiable environmental impacts related to our operations, including greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, water use and waste generation. The Yankees are committed to compliance with all applicable environmental regulations, and we support the development of innovative, economic and socially beneficial solutions to help reduce or offset the direct and indirect impacts we engender.
