What do sustainable packaging and motorsport have in common? More than you might think.

This summer, Hello Straw headed to the Nürburgring with Handwerk Racing. It was a weekend of racing, hospitality, and sustainable products doing exactly what they are designed to do: perform under all circumstances.

A Circuit Like No Other

For those less familiar with the world of motorsport, the Nürburgring in Germany is one of the world's longest and most demanding racetracks. It has been the stage for some of the greatest moments in racing history since the 1920s. The complex includes the modern Grand Prix circuit and the legendary Nordschleife, a 20.8-kilometre loop known to drivers and fans as The Green Hell.

What makes the Nürburgring Nordschleife so legendary:

  • 20.8 kilometres of track with over 170 corners
  • Dramatic elevation changes and blind crests that test car and driver to the limit
  • Home to the ADAC Nürburgring Classic, the 53rd BELMOT Oldtimer Grand Prix, and the GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS
  • One of Europe's biggest annual celebrations of vintage and classic motorsport

Tens of thousands of fans travel from across Europe each year to watch racing here.

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Our Sponsorship Of Handwerk Racing

Hello Straw is a proud sponsor of Handwerk Racing, and this season our sponsorship brought the brand to the Youngtimer Trophy as part of the ADAC Nürburgring Classic. The car carried the Hello Straw logo throughout the race weekend, and the team drove it to an impressive 2nd place overall. A great result and a proud moment for the drivers, the engineering crew, and for us as sponsors.

Being trackside to see it happen made the result even more special. There is nothing quite like watching a car you have backed cross the line at a circuit like this. It was a reminder of why these partnerships matter: they push us, they challenge us, and they give our brand a stage we could never build on our own.

"Seeing the Hello Straw logo cross the finish line in 2nd place was a proud moment for our whole team. This sponsorship is about more than branding. It is about backing a team that shares our values, and it is brilliant to see those values deliver results on the track."
— Hello Straw

Sustainability In Action At The Ring

For the second year running, Handwerk Racing welcomed us into their VIP lounge. It was the perfect setting to experience the race up close, enjoy great food and drink, and see our paper straws and paper cutlery in action. Right where sustainability meets performance. It is exactly where we want our products to be seen.

Throughout the weekend, Hello Straw products were front and centre across the hospitality area. Here is how they performed:

  • Paper straws used across all drinks service in the VIP lounge
  • Paper cutlery replaced single-use plastic for all meals and snacks
  • Products held up throughout a busy, multi-day motorsport event
  • Positive reception from guests, partners, and event organisers

When thousands of guests come together for a weekend of racing, the volume of single-use items adds up quickly. That is exactly the kind of setting where sustainable alternatives need to prove themselves. No drop in quality, no compromise on the guest experience.

The Same Drive, Different Lanes

On the surface, sustainable packaging and motorsport might seem worlds apart. But our partnership with Handwerk Racing exists because we think the same way.

Handwerk Racing works to get every bit of speed and reliability out of their car. They test, analyse data, refine their setup, and go again. At Hello Straw, we follow the same cycle. Our paper straws need to hold up in sealed juice cartons and withstand hours of use. Our cutlery has to perform under the busiest service conditions without bending or breaking. Our packaging solutions have to meet the demands of industrial filling lines and cold-chain logistics.

In both cases, it comes down to the same thing: we test, we learn, and we keep improving. The drive to perform is identical.

That shared way of thinking is what makes this feel like a real partnership. We are not just putting a logo on a car. We are working alongside a team that approaches performance the way we do.

"The Handwerk Racing team have been incredibly supportive and welcoming from the very start. Their hospitality, their professionalism, and the way they bring people together at the track is something special. We are grateful for the partnership and proud to be part of what they are building."
— Hello Straw

What Is The Youngtimer Trophy?

For those less familiar with the series, the Youngtimer Trophy is one of Germany's most popular historic racing series. Key facts:

  • Features classic road cars and early sports models from the 1970s through the 1990s
  • Cars include BMW E30s, Porsche 944s, Ford Sierras, and Mercedes 190Es
  • All cars are prepared for competitive racing on the Nürburgring Nordschleife
  • Part of the ADAC Nürburgring Classic, one of Europe's premier vintage motorsport events

What makes it special is the combination of accessibility and spectacle. These are cars that many people remember from the roads of their childhood, now racing flat out on one of the world's most demanding circuits. The atmosphere is part nostalgia, part adrenaline, and the racing is fiercely competitive. For more details, visit the Youngtimer Trophy page on the Nürburgring Classic website.

Looking Ahead

Our sponsorship of Handwerk Racing continues to grow, and we are already excited to see what the next season brings. What started as a shared belief in testing and improvement has become a partnership we are genuinely proud of. Every race weekend reinforces why we got involved in the first place.

Partnerships like this give us the chance to introduce sustainable products to audiences who might not have encountered them before. Motorsport fans, event organisers, and hospitality teams all see first-hand that switching from single-use plastics does not mean compromising on quality. That message lands differently when people experience it for themselves at a live event.

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Sponsoring Handwerk Racing has been a wonderful experience. A huge thank you to the entire crew for making our time at the Nürburgring so memorable, and for proving, once again, that performance and sustainability go hand in hand.

Packaging That Performs Under Pressure

If your business is looking for sustainable packaging that performs in the real world, from hospitality and events to retail and food service, we would love to hear from you. Get in touch with our team to find out how Hello Straw can support your sustainability goals.

FAQ

What do sustainable packaging and motorsport have in common?
Both demand rigorous testing, continuous improvement, and a refusal to accept good enough. Hello Straw sponsors Handwerk Racing because both organisations share a commitment to performance and precision, whether that means developing paper straws that hold up in sealed cartons or preparing a race car for the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

What is the Youngtimer Trophy at the Nürburgring?
The Youngtimer Trophy is a historic racing series that is part of the ADAC Nürburgring Classic. It features classic road cars and sports models from the 1970s through the 1990s, all prepared for competitive racing on the Nordschleife, one of the most demanding circuits in the world. The series has earned cult status over more than 30 years.

How does Hello Straw support sustainable events?
Hello Straw provides sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics for events of all sizes. At the ADAC Nürburgring Classic, Hello Straw paper straws and paper cutlery were used throughout the Handwerk Racing VIP hospitality lounge, replacing plastic without compromising on quality or guest experience.

Are paper straws suitable for large-scale events?
Yes. Hello Straw paper straws are designed to perform reliably at scale, from individual restaurants to major motorsport events with thousands of guests. They hold up throughout extended service, work with both hot and cold drinks, and provide a high-quality sustainable alternative to plastic straws.

Does Hello Straw sponsor motorsport?
Hello Straw is a proud sponsor of Handwerk Racing, competing in the Youngtimer Trophy at the ADAC Nürburgring Classic. The Hello Straw logo is featured on the racing car, and the partnership reflects shared values of precision, performance, and continuous improvement. The sponsored car finished 2nd overall in the 2026 season.