It seems multinationals all over the world finally start to realise that plastic straws – huge amounts of which are used wastefully – do indeed pose a big problem, and McDonald’s is the latest to get rid of them in its restaurants.
As we have reported recently, beverage giants Diageo and Pernod Ricard declared war on plastic straws, banishing them from their events and replacing them, wherever possible, with straws made from recycled material. As it looks, McDonald’s got inspired as well, and announced that it will join the fight against plastic pollution, and tackle this issue in two steps.
In the first step, customers will not be able to take as many straws as they want, and will have to ask for them from behind the counter. This will be introduced as soon as May this year in 1,300 McDonald’s restaurants across the UK. The move is important because it prevents people from taking more straws than they actually need, which, as surprising as it may seem, happens quite often in fast food restaurants.
The second step will be to replace all straws handed out in restaurants to versions made with recycled content to cut plastic waste. This will be introduced in two restaurants in London in May.
The fast food chain is also working towards fully recycled and recyclable packaging, and has actually made better progress than most of us would believe. So far it's at 80 percent, and seeks to achieve 100 percent in the foreseeable future. Replacing plastic straws will be a powerful first step on this road.
McDonald's is not alone with its enthusiasm though: UK fast food chain Leon, grocery store shain Iceland and Ireland’s Pizza Express joined the fight against plastic straws as well.