The bioplastics company, with an office in Shelton, collaborated with a UConn marine sciences team to evaluate the product’s biodegradation in marine ecosystems. The study was led by Hannah Collins, a marine sciences Ph.D. candidate, and her co-author, Larissa Tabb. Ward helped oversee the study as Collins’ graduate advisor.

Straws might seem insignificant, inspiring jokes about the plastic vs. paper debate, but the plastic straw has come to symbolize a global pollution crisis over the past decade. On Monday, President Donald Trump waded into the issue when he signed an executive order to reverse a federal push away from plastic straws,

US President Donald Trump reversed a target set by his predecessor Joe Biden to eliminate plastic straws across government agencies by 2035 , rejecting claims that they are harmful to sharks. But scientists say there is well-documented evidence that pollution from these single-use items impacts sharks and all marine animals.