Founded in New York City in 2020 after its founders grew tired of soggy paper straws, OMAO makes biodegradable drinking straws from PHA, a vegetable-oil-derived material designed to perform like traditional plastic without the same environmental persistence. Its straws are home compostable and can disappear in about 90 days, while the company’s sample packs are made in the USA. OMAO’s founding team won the Columbia University Alliance Social Enterprise Challenge and launched the company as a socially responsible business.
Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)
registration
Roc Paper StrawsRoc Paper Straws is a Rochester, New York manufacturer of durable, colorful paper straws made in the USA as an alternative to single-use plastic. The woman-owned, family-run operation began after co-owner Karrie, a local bar owner, switched to paper straws in 2018 and found American suppliers could not keep up with demand. Its plastic-free process uses food-grade materials and supports both stock designs and custom-printed straws for businesses.ROCHESTER, NY
Bamboo YoshiBamboo Yoshi is a U.S.-based sustainable packaging company developing biodegradable and compostable alternatives to plastic, including food-service packaging made from renewable and regenerative materials. With more than seven years on the market, it pairs an online product range with research into circular packaging and materials that can be reused, recycled, or returned to the environment with less waste.BROOKLYN, NY
FoliumwareCo-founders Garima Parnami and Gaurav Pranami created Foliumware after a landfill visit prompted them to seek a genuinely natural alternative to disposable tableware. The company makes single-use leaf plates and bowls for gatherings, replacing conventional throwaway serveware with products designed to return to backyard compost in a few weeks.
Max-Hamilton GroupFounded by Lesley (Les) Gray in 2019, Max-Hamilton Group is a market-focused company built around identifying unmet needs and creating practical goods and services to address them. Its manufacturing work is best known for Bionex® biodegradable alternatives to single-use plastics, made from plant fibers for settings such as restaurants and schools.