Capri Sun: Plastic drinking straws should come back

Eppelheim – Hardly any other drink brings back as many childhood memories as the Capri-Sun, which is now called Capri-Sun. But now the cult drinking bag is causing quite a stir: the manufacturer from Baden-Württemberg wants to go back to plastic straws and is taking on environmentalists.

Capri-Sun even wanted to collect a million signatures with a large online petition to get the EU to relax the plastic ban. But the plan flopped: not even 169,000 supporters came together. Still, there is Pursue don’t stop: keep sticking to the goal of bringing back the plastic straw.

Trouble with paper straws

Since 2021, Capri-Sun has had to use paper straws due to an EU ban. But many customers are annoyed. The cardboard straw is difficult to insert, quickly becomes soft and has an unpleasant papery taste. Capri-Sun has improved the straws several times – but the criticism doesn’t stop. Now the manufacturer is using a new approach: the straw will in future be made of polypropylene, i.e. the same plastic like the bag. The idea behind it: Everything made from one material is more recyclable. The company says it is in discussions with the EU Commission about this.

EU remains tough

Environmentalists react outraged. “Capri-Sun’s ongoing fight for single-use plastic straws is incomprehensible from an environmental perspective and is an indictment,” said Viola Wohlgemuth from German Environmental Aid. “The small drinking bags are primarily designed for consumption on the go and therefore often end up in the environment.”

The EU Commission has so far appeared unimpressed. She refers to the “plastic pollution crisis.” By that she means the massive one pollution through plastic waste that threatens oceans, soils and ecosystems and increasingly enters the food chain, and merely announces a review of the rules. A clear signal: the fight against single-use plastic remains a priority.

Ice cream parlor trick as a solution?

But Capri-Sun also has a plan B: At the same time, they are working on an alternative – a larger, resealable bag without a straw. While single-use plastic is banned, flushable and reusable plastic products may be used. Many ice cream parlors now offer plastic spoons that simply have “Reusable” embossed on them. So it remains exciting for Capri Sun lovers to see whether they will be able to enjoy the drink in a more environmentally friendly way in the future.

Since when is Capri-Sun actually called Capri-Sun?

The popular drinking package is a childhood memory with a cult factor for many people. The last huge wave of criticism hit the company (according to its own information, it sells six billion drinking bags worldwide every year), when the name was changed from Capri-Sonne to Capri-Sun in 2017. The drink had been available in German-speaking countries under the Germanized name since 1980, then in 2017 the company decided to sell the trick package here under the international name.