The Indian government's patent office has recently granted patent approval to the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) for their groundbreaking development – production of ‘reusable beverage straw’ and its manufacturing process. These straws are skillfully crafted from a distinct bamboo plant species native to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Approximately three decades ago, the bamboo species known as Schizostachyum andamanicum was initially identified on these islands. Now, with the patent approval for the production of reusable straws, the economic potential of this bamboo species has received a significant boost.
According to Lal Ji Singh, who serves as both the regional head and a scientist at BSI's Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre situated in Port Blair, this particular bamboo variant stands out due to its slender and substantial hollow stem, featuring extended segments known as internodes. It possesses significant potential for being transformed into a practical drinking straw.
The development of the bamboo straw project commenced in 2011 at the Dhanikhari Experimental Garden-cum-Arboretum, which is part of the BSI Regional Centre. The patent application was officially filed in 2018, with the patent finally granted in the year 2023. Dr Singh explained that his inspiration for this groundbreaking invention came from the striking similarity in the morpho-anatomical structure of the bamboo's culm internodes to that of modern synthetic drinking straws.