McDonald's May Soon Be Free Of Plastic Straws

In the past few years, more and more businesses have stopped using single-use plastic straws. The trend started in 2018, when Seattle became the first major U.S. city to ban plastic straws and utensils in restaurants and other businesses, per the Seattle Times. Over 200 retailers joined the campaign, dubbed "Strawless In Seattle," in an effort to reduce plastic waste in the name of marine health. 

It didn't take long for other cities to catch on. By 2019, the ban had reached Washington D.C., whose erstwhile straw-slinging businesses complied with the restriction to avoid fines from the city, per NBC. Food corporations followed suit, including coffee giant Starbucks, which followed through on its goal to eliminate its plastic straws globally by 2020. In 2018, McDonald's also joined the chat by pledging to ban plastic straws from its franchises in the U.K. and Ireland. The fast-food chain's U.S. stores may be finally catching up. 

McDonald's is testing a "strawless lid" for cold beverages in select U.S. markets, including Minneapolis, per a statement shared with Restaurant Business on Tuesday. "These lids help optimize our packaging and eliminate the use of small plastics, just one example of the many solutions we're reviewing as part of our ongoing global commitment to reduce waste across restaurants and advance recycling," reads the statement. You've probably seen a version of the lid elsewhere, especially if you've ordered coffee from a bodega. It features a pull-back tab that reveals a small opening from which to drink, and which can be resealed for spill-free transport. 

The ban may be slow to reach all Minneapolis franchises. Restaurant Business notes that they were given a plastic straw without asking for one on a recent visit to a Twin Cities McDonald's.

Why not use paper straws? According to Daily Mail, the chain's switch to compostable straws in the U.K. and Ireland drew criticism from consumers, who claimed that the straws "go soggy after a few sips." That said, doing away with straws altogether also has its drawbacks. In 2018, NPR shed light on the challenges straw bans pose to people with disabilities. Reusable straws are one potential solution, but they're expensive to buy in bulk. For the time being, McDonald's fans (and anyone who prefers to drink out of a straw) might consider investing in their own metal straw.