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Launch of World's First U Bend Paper Straw

The Paper Straw Co and BillerudKorsnäs Launches First 180 Degree Paper Straw for Individual Drink Cartons

The U-Bend paper straw will be used for drink cartons for juice boxes, milk and water

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND (July 10, 2019)The Paper Straw Co, the U.K.’s first paper straw manufacturer based in Manchester, England, and BillerudKorsnäs, a Swedish pulp and paper manufacturer, announces today the launch of the first fully functional 180 degree paper straw for individual drink cartons such as juice, milk, and water. The patent pending U-Bend paper straw will be available for food and beverage industries in the U.K. and United States later this year.

The Paper Straw Co, which was acquired by Hoffmaster Group, Inc.®,a leading U.S. manufacturer of premium disposable tableware, in May 2019, will apply the same methodology that is used for Hoffmaster’s Aardvark Straws, often referred to as the strongest paper straws on the market, to the U-Bend Straw. Made of FibreForm shapeable paper from BillerudKorsnäs, the U-Bend straw is durable, food safe, and recyclable.

“At The Paper Straw Co, we manufacture sturdy paper straws made up of certified raw materials. Rather than shipping them thousands of miles away, which would reduce their environmental credentials, we serve local customers in our own backyard,” said Pijper. “We are excited to expand our line of paper straw offerings with the patent pending U-Bend straw.”

The U-Bend straw marks the second flexible paper straw in Hoffmaster’s portfolio of paper straws. Aardvark Straws introduced the first bendable Eco-Flex® paper straw to the market, which can be positioned at an angle that a consumer needs or wants to sip it from. Like all Aardvark paper straws, the Eco-Flex is naturally degradable, FDA/EU compliant and compostable. Hoffmaster’s experience in flexible paper straw development lends to its ability to assist in the production of the U-Bend straw.

Co-Founders Geert Pijper and Ilesh Mawji launched The Paper Straw Co in April 2018 in response to the growing demand for environmentally friendly alternatives to single-use plastic straws. In 2018, the U.K. and the European Union announced its ban of single-use plastics, including straws, which would go into effect by 2021. The Paper Straw Co provides U.K. and European customers with the opportunity to purchase paper straws made locally.

Plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time, with statistics showing that there will bemore plastic in the ocean than there are fish, by volume, by 2050. Restaurants, venues, and establishments worldwide are working to combat plastic pollution by switching from plastic to paper straws.

To learn more about The Paper Straw Co, visitwww.thepaperstraw.co. To learn more about Hoffmaster, visit www.hoffmaster.com. To learn more about BillerudKorsnäs, visit www.billerudkorsnas.com.

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ABOUT BILLERUDKORNSAS

BillerudKorsnäs provides packaging materials and solutions that challenge conventional packaging for a sustainable future. We are a world-leading provider of primary fibre based packaging materials and have customers in over 100 countries. The company has 8 production units in Sweden, Finland and the UK and about 4500 employees in over 13 countries. BillerudKorsnäs has an annual turnover of about SEK 24 billion and is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.

ABOUT HOFFMASTER®

Hoffmaster® is a one-stop source offering a complete line of premium disposable paper tableware items for restaurants, hospitals, and a wide variety of other service industries. The Company, established in 1947, is the platform company for the Hoffmaster Group, Inc. ® Foodservice Division. Hoffmaster is currently owned by Wellspring Capital Management.

ABOUT THE PAPER STRAW CO®

The Paper Straw Co was founded in April 2018 and is a startup business focused on the manufacturing of paper straws in the Manchester area, with the combined knowledge between the partners of the paper industry, machinery industry and U.K. manufacturing. The Paper Straw Co is the original manufacturer of paper straws in the U.K.

ABOUT AARDVARK® STRAWS

Aardvark paper straws were introduced in 2007 in response to a growing anti-plastic movement. Precision Products Group, Inc., created an environmentally friendly straw based off of the original paper straw invented in 1888 by Marvin Stone. Today, Aardvark offers printed straws, cake pop sticks and Eco-Flex paper straws that are earth and marine friendly, naturally degradable, FDA/EU compliant, compostable and made in the USA. For more information, visit www.aardvarkstraws.com.