Kunnathur Couple pitches papaya straws to replace plastic

CHENNAI: While it is known that most inventions are the result of primary driving force which is ‘need’, as the saying goes - ‘necessity is the mother of invention’, a couple of Kunnathur in Chengalpattu district had replaced plastic straws with straws made out of papaya tree branch during the outbreak of coronavirus in 2020.

The couple who sell the produce from their farm continues to make these eco-friendly straws for their customers on East Coast Road (ECR) after receiving a positive response from the public.

Muthamma (50) and Nagappan (64) belong to Manamai village near Kunnathur of Tirukalukundram block in Chengalpattu district. The couple owns a piece of land in their village and grows various kinds of native vegetables, fruits, and tender coconut. Besides farming, the couple’s earning depends on selling the produce from their farm at ECR to passersby and residents.

Explaining the decision to replace plastic straws with eco-friendly papaya straws, Muthamma said, “Among a slew of restrictions in place during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, one was the ban on using plastic straws. That led us to materialise the idea of making straws out of a papaya tree’s branch. Not just eco-friendly, this product is also more economical than plastic straws.”

Muthamma makes anywhere between 50 to 150 papaya straws a day at her shop in ECR. While Muthamma is the one who spends the wee hours in the morning making papaya straws every day using a regular kitchen knife, it is Nagappan’s friendly nature, coupled with his excellent marketing skills, that takes the handy product to the users.

“I carry a few tender coconuts and papaya straws for my friends or to sell them to people during my rides around the village in the daytime. This may seem like a small routine, but it garnered the public's attention. I do not charge for the straws; I give them free when people purchase the tender coconut. However, many customers purchase papaya straws and pay an amount they wish,” said Nagappan, smiling.

The couple also noted that they were approached by a government department (unable to point out the department name) to prompt and train others. The couple added, “However, we are quite occupied with our routine work.”