The Pipet Wheat Drinking Straw has been named a finalist at this year’s Finder Innovation Awards.
It will now compete in the finals for the ultimate title of Best Retail Product Innovation in Australia.
For the past 8 years, the Finder Innovation Awards has celebrated excellence and ingenuity across the nation’s biggest industries.
In the 2023 awards, Finder’s team of experts judged approximately 200 entrants across a range of scoring metrics, including uniqueness, commercial impact and benefit to the consumer.
In the Best Retail Product category, Pipet scored highly with judges for its range of eco-friendly Wheat Drinking Straws – a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic.
Each Pipet drinking straw is made from the stem of wheat plants, which would normally be burnt or end up in a landfill. They are 100% natural with no additives or chemicals and are also home compostable.
Crucially, they won’t get soggy during use (unlike the vast majority of paper straws) and can be used with hot or cold beverages.
Pipet’s commitment to sustainability also extends to the packaging, which is plastic free, FSC certified and coloured with vegetable-based inks.
Since its launch in January 2023, Pipet has sold over 125,000 wheat straws, effectively preventing plastic waste in the process. It attributes its success to a shift in consumer behaviour towards more sustainable choices, which aligns with its core mission.
“The move from plastic to paper straws has addressed the waste that single-use plastics send to landfill. Unfortunately paper straws are better for the environment, but lack functionality,” one Finder judge said.
“Pipet’s innovative approach fills the gap between plastic and paper straws, and has clearly been well-received by customers.”
With the Wheat Drinking Straw, Pipet is achieving its goal of minimising humanity’s impact on the planet via the creation of sustainable, ethically sourced and innovative products.
We wish Pipet luck in the finals.
About the Finder Innovation Awards
Now in its eighth year, the Finder Innovation Awards recognises groundbreaking innovations across various industries, including retail.
A judging panel comprising industry professionals and Finder's own experts rigorously assessed entries’ submissions against category-specific criteria.
All winners for the 2023 awards will be announced in late October (date TBC).
For more information about each finalist and how the awards were scored, head to the Finder Innovation Awards homepage.
About the author – Chris Jager
Chris Jager is the senior shopping editor at Finder, specialising in consumer technology. With over 15 years of experience as a full-time journalist, Chris has provided expertise to many leading technology publications, including PC World, Australian Gamepro, Good Gear Guide, PC Authority, Kotaku, Lifehacker Australia, Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.