Noodles & Company Furthers Its Sustainability Commitment With New Initiative

Noodles & Company has partnered with Hoffmaster Group Inc., parent company of Aardvark, to replace plastic straws with paper straws in all its restaurants across the country by the end of March 

Eliminating Plastic Nationwide  

"In the same way that we care about and nourish our team members, guests, and communities, we believe we have a responsibility to support our planet and contribute to making the future brighter for generations to come," said Stacey Pool, chief marketing officer at Noodles & Company. "This transition allows us to move one step closer towards our commitment to creating a better world." 

Noodles' new paper straws, supplied by Aardvark, can last over three hours without deteriorating in soft drinks or water. The straws are certified BPI compostable, FDA approved, naturally degradable, and made in the U.S. Noodles & Company plans to fully transition paper straws into all its locations by March 2022. This change will remove nearly 21,000 pounds of plastic from the Company's waste stream annually.  

Sustainability for the Planet

Sustainability will continue to influence menus and how restaurants make decisions in 2022, according to the National Restaurant Association’s annual What’s Hot Culinary Forecast.  For Taco Bell, sustainability and investing in its employees is on its list of "guiding philosophies" for 2022. 

Chipotle aims to reduce its carbon emissions 50% by 2030. Also leading the charge is Panera Bread, which has a goal to become climate positive by 2050.  Starbucks and McDonald's have cut their use of "problematic plastic" by 57% between 2018 and 2020. 

Sustainable Future 

This announcement comes on the heels of Noodles' first-ever impact report, which was released in October 2021. The report outlined key initiatives Noodles has taken in the areas of food, people, planet, and community to make the world a better place, one bowl of noodles at a time. The rollout of Noodles' new paper straws builds upon its promise to continue making impactful changes across its operation, focusing efforts towards creating a better world. 

For more information about Noodles & Company's sustainable initiatives, visit noodles.com/WeCare.