The patent office of Government of India has granted a patent to Botanical Survey of India for ‘reusable straw and its manufacturing’. The reusable straw is developed from a species of endemic bamboo plant which is found in the Andamans and Nicobar Islands.
The bamboo species Schizostachyum andamanicum was discovered on the island about three decades ago and now its economic potential has received a boost with the granting of the patent for reusable straw and its manufacture.
Lal Ji Singh, regional head and scientist at BSI’s Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre in Port Blair said that this species of bamboo is characterized by a thin large hollow erect culm (stem) with long internodes and has potential for developing into a straw.
“It is a novel way to replace plastic straws with an organic alternative. This is a future technology to enhance the economy of farmers and bamboo growers of the island, if they cultivate this endemic bamboo species at a commercial level,” Dr. Singh, who is the behind the invention said.
Work on the bamboo straw started at Dhanikhari Experimental Garden-cum-Arboretum, at the BSI Regional Centre in 2011. The application for patent was made in 2018 and the patent was granted earlier in the year 2023, Dr. Singh said. The scientist said that during studies he found that morpho-anatomical structure of culm internodes of the endemic bamboo were identical to modern synthetic drinking straws which led to the idea for this novel invention.“
“The germplasm of the bamboo species is only found in some forested areas of Andamans and large-scale production of the straw will be dependent on commercial cultivation of the species,” the scientist said.
Director of BSI A.A. Mao said that the patent for the reusable straw is a welcome development for the organisation. Dr. Mao, however, added that straws made from the Bamboo are already being used in India, giving credit to the BSI for the invention.
