Nayuki Announces Plan to Phase Out Plastic Straws From Its Stores Operating in China by the End of 2020

SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nayuki, a leading new style tea brand based in China, has announced to phase out plastic straws by the end of 2020, as part of its corporate social responsibility commitment to minimize single-use plastic waste. Following the personal cup discount campaign launched by Nayuki earlier this year, the movement is the recent company's commitment to further decrease non-biodegradable packaging materials and to remove millions of plastic straws from its 400+ stores operating in China each year.

With the biodegradable straw first introduced in Shenzen's stores last year, Nayuki is committed to implementing measures through everyday practices. Since July 2020, Nayuki has started to offer a reusable cup discount to customers who bring their own cups to the store. Starting this year, all stores in mainland China have rolled out the paper straws and encouraged customers to use direct-drink lids for the beverages without toppings or fruit such as Pure, Cold-Brew, and Cheese Tea Series.

As part of the company's continued commitment to environmental action and sustainability, Nayuki has also partnered with Alipay Ant Forest, a green initiative launched by Ant Financial Services Group to promote low-carbon activities, to reduce paper consumption. The joint initiative allows customers to collect virtual "green energy" by ordering online, which is then converted into a real tree to be planted in China by people supported by Ant Financial Services Group and its partners.

"The plans to phase out plastic straw by the end of 2020 is part of our long-term target to minimize the environmental impact of every cup of tea we serve and also an important step towards environmental sustainability of our business," said Peng Xin, founder of Nayuki.

"Over the past few years, the support for using bio-degradable materials and eliminating unnecessary plastic use has gathered enormous momentum around the world. With China's pledge to phase out all the plastic straws produced for the catering industry in 2020, Nayuki aims to take the lead in protecting the earth by joining this global action on reducing plastic waste, increasing recycling and promoting reusability," Peng Xin added.

Taking an active role in helping those in need amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Apart from the sustainability effort, Nayuki teams are also supporting the most vulnerable populations by prioritizing purchasing fruits and tea from the agricultural regions that have been hit the hardest by the pandemic, as well as providing essential supplies for frontline medical workers through donations of medical supplies and food.

In March 2020, Nayuki signed a contract with the government of Baise in Guangxi province to procure fruits from local farmers for products such as Supreme Cheese Mango fruit tea, Creamy Mango Pastry. In June, Nayuki also responded to the call of the Agricultural and Rural Department of Guangdong province to help local farmers and signed a contract with the Agricultural and Rural Department of Hubei province to purchase tea and fruits from the farmers in the two regions.

About Nayuki

Established in 2015, Nayuki, the leading tea-drink brand, with its fruit-based cheese teas and soft-euro baked goods, is dedicated to bringing new taste sensations to the tea aficionados around the world. Growing rapidly with more than 400 stores in China, Singapore and Japan, Nayuki has elevated the tea-drinking lifestyle to the next level with its innovations. Valued at RMB 6 billion ($874 million), Nayuki received several hundred million RMB in Series A plus funding from TianTu Capital in 2018, making it the first new-style tea unicorn.

SOURCE Nayuki