A plastic drinking straw is a short tube made of paper or plastic. It is used by people for sucking a beverage from a container to their mouth. In the initial days, these were made of stems of grass hence the name drinking straws. Way back in 1888, it was Marvin Stone who first patented the manufacturing of the first paper drinking straws by the spiral winding process.
Read: Profitable Home Manufacturing Business Ideas
From then on technological developments have occurred in the commercial production of drinking straws. Nowadays, commercially manufactured drinking straws are made of plastics. Find below the manufacturing process and equipment required to make plastic straws.
Plastic Straws are used for drinking purposes like soft drinks, fruit juice, lassi, cold coffee, etc. In the United States alone, it is estimated that over 500 million straws are used every single day.
Plastic Drinking Straw Manufacturing Business Plan
Here are the 5 steps to starting a plastic straw-making manufacturing business:
1. Understand the Local Market
Before starting any business be it home-based or otherwise, it is extremely important to understand the demand and the buying behavior of local people. Plastic Straws are generally used for drinking purposes. People use straws to drink a wide range of beverages like fruit juices, cold coffee, and soft drinks. Conduct market research find out the gaps that exist and plan it to your advantage.
2. Create a Business Plan
If you are planning to start a plastic straw-making business from home or on a small scale, you don’t need to make a big business plan.
You just need to address some basic issues that are critical to the business. Some of the factors your business plan must address are the following:
- Startup and recurring costs
- Target customers
- Pricing plan
- What profit margin you are expecting?
- How and where to sell?
3. Make your Business Legally Compliant
To start and run a hassle-free business, it is advised to procure required licenses and permits as per the local requirements. In addition, register your business.
Check with the local competent authority, and select the best-suited company structure as per your resources.
4. Buy a Drinking Plastic Straw Making Machine & Equipment
The basic machinery you require is the following:
a) Plastic Straw Making Machine
There are various types of paper and plastic straw-making machines available in the market. They are manual, semi-automatic, and fully automatic machines. As per your financial budget, you can choose any one of them.
Talk to local machine suppliers or check on online marketplaces like Alibaba and enquire about the prices and production output of the machine.
b) Plastic beads/ Paper Roll
This is the main raw material for making drinking straws. If you are making plastic-made drinking straws the main raw material is plastic beads.
For paper-made drinking straws, paper rolls generally of thickness in the range of 0.25 m.m to 1.0 m.m are used.
All these raw materials are easily available in local markets.
c) Cutting Machine
A cutting machine is required for shaping the straws into desired shapes and sizes.
d) Colorants
If you are looking to make coloured straws, buy some colourants.
e) Packing Machine
For commercial production, good packing is essential. You need to procure a packing machine that is readily available in nearby machinery retailer shops.
5. Learn the Plastic Straw Manufacturing Process
The manufacturing process of making drinking plastic straws is simple. Drinking straws are either made of paper or plastic.
Step#1. Buy plastic beads from the market.
Step#2. Pour the plastic beads into the hopper of the machine and start the machine. Plastic Straws will be manufactured automatically.
Step#3. Cut the straws with a Cutting Machine in the required sizes.
This kind of machine normally operates with a 4 hp motor and 440 volts.
6. Promote your Plastic Drinking Straw Business
Finally, you must establish an effective network of wholesalers, distributors, and retailers to sell your drinking straws. Have a marketing plan and hire a few salespeople to market your product. Furthermore, do not forget to create a website for your business. It not only helps you to find new customers but also creates a brand.
Editorial Team at 99BusinessIdeas is a team of experts led by Rupak Chakrabarty with over 25 years of experience in starting and running small businesses. Started in 2010, 99BusinessIdeas is now one of the largest free small business resources in the industry.
