Leading tequila brand makes ditching plastic straws so much easier

Starting next year, millions of Jose Cuervo agave-based straws will be rolled out at bars, restaurants and Jose Cuervo events across the United States and Mexico in a bid to reduce the consumption of regular plastics from the tequila-drinking experience.

The agave-based straws feature a mouthfeel and texture similar to traditional plastic straws and utilizes many tons of fibrous material left over from the tequila-making process. 

Ana Laborde CEO & Founder of Biosolutions Mexico and Penka

Created in partnership with the scientists at BioSolutions Mexico and the production team at Mexico-based PENKA, Jose Cuervo’s straws are made with an agave bio-based composite, replace around a third of the polymers used in traditional straw production, and decompose up to 200 times faster than regular plastic. 

Agave Straws

At the end of its lifecycle, the straws can be consumed by microorganisms to fully biodegrade within one to five years in landfill conditions. The new agave-based straws folds into a larger Jose Cuervo initiative—The Agave Project—which continues the family-owned company’s commitment to the land and people of Tequila and Mexico, while harnessing the potential of its lifeblood: the agave plant.