McDonald's Will Test Plastic Straw Alternatives in the US
McDonald’s will use only paper straws in the U.K. in 2019 and will begin testing out plastic alternatives in the U.S.
McDonald’s has announced that it will complete its transition to paper straws in Ireland and the U.K. by 2019. Beginning in September of 2018, the brand will begin rolling out paper straws at all of its 1,361 locations in those areas, as well as commence testing plastic straw alternatives in multiple global markets, including the U.S.
“McDonald’s is committed to using our scale for good and working to find sustainable solutions for plastic straws globally,” said Francesca DeBiase, the company’s executive vice president for global supply chain and sustainability, in a press release.
“In addition to the exciting news from the U.K. today, we are testing straw alternatives in other countries to provide the best experience for our customers. We hope this work will support industry-wide change and bring sustainable solutions to scale.”
The U.S., France, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, and Australia will all be McDonald’s next test markets for straw alternatives in an effort to eliminate the harmful plastic waste that has ended up ruining natural environments, particularly the world’s oceans. Although the brand did not release what possible alternatives could be used, paper and metal straws are popular as plastic alternatives.
The U.K. has already planned a government initiative to eliminate the plastic straw country-wide and combat plastic pollution. Places such as New York City are attempting to ban the straw, and even Major League Baseball teams like the White Sox are ditching the single-use drinking implement.
Alternatives to plastic items such as straws and utensils will definitely be one of our food trend predictions for next year.
