Finally, a paper straw that doesn’t suck

These in-their-own-words pieces are told to Patricia Lane and co-edited with input from the interviewee for the purpose of brevity.

Brandon Leeds is disrupting the compostable plastics industry without greenwashing. This 31-year-old and his brother, Jordan, 26, started and run SOFi Products, which manufactures the paper straws and cold drink cups you now get at many fast food restaurants and have just launched a hot drink container. Together, they have replaced 100 million plastic straws.

Tell us about your work.

SOFi was born after Jordan had a milkshake with a paper straw that disintegrated into the shake and ruined it. He called me and said, “There has to be a better way!” We wanted a solution that would allow people to both enjoy their drinks and avoid polluting our oceans with plastic straws. Jordan spent six months studying how paper straws were made to learn how to do it better, and I got ready to build and market the product. All our straws are sourced from ethical paper production with a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label. They don't disintegrate in your mouth or your drink, but they do degrade rapidly and without leaving toxic residues in landfills, the ocean or in the soil. They are gluten-free, vegan, don't taste like paper and really do break down within 60 days.

Once we made our straws, we began using the same materials for cold drink cups. Drinking cup lids are a significant problem. They are usually made of plastic and take a lot of space. Our cups and lids are all-in-one and since the paper is firm, there is no need for plastic. Now we are launching our hot drinks cup. Our products are in 4,000 retail outlets in Canada and the U.S., including White Spot, Triple O’s, Walmart and other outlets like the Six Mile Pub & Eatery in Victoria.

Why do companies prefer your product?

Government regulations forbid the use of single-use plastic in many forms and more restrictions requiring a shorter degradation time are coming. Many fast food containers commonly labelled as compostable are actually quite ineradicable. At best, they require processing in industrial composting facilities often for periods of more than 60 days. We are encouraged to focus much of our business in Canada as our governments tighten restrictions and truly biodegradable products are required.

More and more companies understand that setting sustainability goals is good business. Our products can help them achieve those goals often faster than they imagined, both because customer satisfaction is high and the containers are truly zero waste.

Tell us about your background.

I was a software engineer before we started SOFi but Jordan and I had wanted to start a business together for a long time. We were waiting for something that we were passionate about. Like so many in our generation, the climate crisis is top of mind and heart so the idea of offering straws and cups that reduce plastic pollution and actually get used because they please consumers seemed an opportunity worth investigating.

Our parents never let us feel entitled to extras. We were expected to work for small and large privileges and our work ethic was hardwired into us. Getting from a soggy straw in a milkshake to where we are now, in less than three years, seems like a big leap, but we have never been afraid to work hard and pursue our dreams.

What makes this project challenging?

Greenwashing is endemic in the industry. Consumers think if a product is labelled compostable, it will actually compost in their bin. Companies think they are doing the right thing. We do a lot of education and are constantly astonished by how little most businesses know.

What gives you hope?

More and more governments are paving the way for companies like us by tightening up regulations so they are based on science. People really do care and want to do the right thing. We are part of raising the bar in an industry that generates a lot of waste.

What do you see if we get this right?

Ocean and beach plastic cleanups are important but if we are really going to deal with the issue, we also have to come at it from the front end. We are so happy to be a part of that movement. If more join us, the changes can be monumental.

What would you like to say to other young people?

Making an impact is easier than you think. We launched late in 2019. We used the pandemic to get better and only began seeing rapid growth in 2022. We have come a long way in a short time. You can, too.

What about older readers?

I hear a lot of sadness and sometimes despair from older people who tell me the world is so damaged, they cannot imagine how to make it better. But we are headed in the right direction. We are just one company. There are so many others. Support us. Encourage governments to make our pathway smooth with sound policy that rewards consumers and companies who want to do the best for our Earth.