Your McDonald's Cup Lid's Rectangular Buttons Actually Serve A Purpose
While McDonald's is perhaps the best-known fast-food chain in the world, some of the restaurant's practices remain shrouded in secrecy. Take the plastic lids McDonald's uses to cover its drinks, which feature helpful round buttons to denote the type of beverage inside. The lids also have additional tabs, which are adjacent to every button, and a TikTok clip established the exact purpose of these curious little accompaniments: They help staff members undo mistakes that can occur when labeling customer drinks.
Imagine a staff member presses the wrong button on the lid but quickly realizes their mistake. Instead of removing the lid to pop the button back out, they can simply press the adjacent tab, which then causes the round button to pop out on its own. This nifty design allows McDonald's workers to move expediently when putting together customer orders and prevents diners from receiving the wrong drink. It's just one of many ways that the Golden Arches ensures optimal efficiency in its restaurants.
Social media followers are dazzled by the discovery
In the TikTok video that finally uncovered the mystery of rectangular cup buttons, a person is seen pushing each of the round buttons, then pressing the tabs only to have the round buttons pop up once again. To say that commenters were surprised is an understatement, as many reacted as though they'd become enlightened to one of life's great mysteries.
@mckeenike1121 All this time wasted not doing this on road trips to annoy my siblings🤦🏻♂️ #today #years #old #fyp
"Say what now," exclaimed one commenter, while another stated, "Your mind is blown." A few McDonald's staff members chimed in to say that not even they were aware of the trick, with one lamenting, "So this whole time I could have kept the lid on." One person even claimed to have a McDonald's cup with them and said the lid lacked rectangular tabs. While it's not entirely clear why some locations use different lid designs, many McDonald's locations are run by franchisees, who can sometimes make decisions that go against the norm. However, the restaurant has some bold plans underway that are likely to affect lid design at all its establishments.
McDonald's may replace its existing lids for something more eco-friendly
Like many other restaurant chains, McDonald's is considering the environmental ramifications of its packaging. As reported by Today, some locations are using a new type of lid that's notable for its lack of a straw. Instead, this lid features an addition that allows customers to drink directly from it, which some have deemed "an adult sippy cup." Starbucks uses strawless lids at its coffee shops, which reduces the need for plastic straws when enjoying cold beverages at the chain.
The new lid is one of many advances McDonald's is making in the name of environmental preservation. For instance, the restaurant hopes to exclusively use recyclable materials for packaging by 2025. The chain is also in the process of decreasing the greenhouse gas emissions it generates, and it hopes to achieve a substantial reduction by 2030. While some customers prefer the existing cup lid with its helpful buttons and straw receptacle, McDonald's appears committed to making positive packaging changes to protect the environment.