<![CDATA[Plastic straws are one of the contributors to environmental pollution. Organic materials are an alternative material for making safe and environmentally friendly straws. Eucheuma cottonii seaweed and arrowroot starch (Maranta arundinacea) are natural ingredients that can potentially be used as raw materials for organic straws. This study aims to determine the formulation of seaweed and arrowroot starch-based organic straws based on physico-chemical characteristics and determine the degradation rate. Physical tests were conducted based on ISO 5424:2022, density, moisture content, and water absorption, while the degradation rate was determined using the soil burial test. The results showed that F2, F4, and F5 were close to the ISO characteristics. The composition of arrowroot starch and seaweed has a significant effect (p<0.05) on organic straws' moisture content and density. The higher the proportion of seaweed compared to arrowroot starch, the more the organic straws' moisture content and density increase. Formulation F5 is the selected treatment based on water absorption (swelling) testing, which consistently maintains its shape until the 60th minute. The degradation rate of organic straw F5 decreased in mass by 80.55% within 10 days of observation. Organic straws with a composition of 5% E. cottonii and 60% arrowroot starch (F5) have the potential to be an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic straws that support environmental conservation.]]>
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