McDonald’s UK Has Banned the Use of Plastic Straws, When Will We?

By JUICE Malaysia  •  in News
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(Source: Vytautas Kielaitis)

McDonald’s is the latest eatery in the United Kingdom to eradicate the use of plastic straws beginning May 2018, an amazing feat for the major fast food chain that has around 1,300 branches in the UK. This means that typical plastic straws will be replaced with biodegradable paper straws as part of a trial run.

“Customers have told us that they don’t want to be given a straw and that they want to have to ask for one, so we’re acting on that,” said Paul Pomroy, CEO of McDonald’s UK.

“The reduction and use of plastics is an hugely important issue – for our business, for the sector and for society,” Pomroy told Metro. It’s also believed that the plastic straws used by McDonald’s UK are already recyclable, however, the company is responding to the increased disapproval of plastic usage from the public.

Their next move towards a greener initiative is to create recyclable drink lids next. “The reduction in use of plastics is a hugely important issue for business, for the sector and for society,” added Pomroy.

It’s not easy to imagine, but half a billion plastic straws are used and discarded every day, and that’s just in the United States. News that’s closer to home isn’t entirely positive either, as Malaysia ranks 8th worst in the world for plastic waste, while 31 million plastic straws are used up each day.

A plastic straw’s single use for is not worth the hundreds of years it takes to degrade. Support Tak Nak Straw on Facebook to learn more about what you can do.

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