Business Franchise Australia

Why not skip the straw?

More than 10 million plastic straws are used in Australia every day. They contribute to the estimated 150 million tonnes of plastic filling our oceans and by 2050 experts estimate there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.

McDonald’s most recent strategy to phase out the straw by 2020 requires customers to specifically request a straw when ordering a beverage. However,  news the fast-food giant is going to make sipping a thickshake harder has outraged people across the country — who are complaining that the plastic ban is being taken too far and causing them too much inconvenience. Customers appear to consider plastic straws a basic, essential item and question the validity of the company’s straw-free pledge when it still uses plastic cutlery and packaging. Alternatives such as paper straws, which McDonald’s provides to its customers in the United Kingdom, have been criticised as ineffective and which taint the flavour of beverages.

Signs have been spotted showing up at McDonald’s restaurants around the country, informing customers that if they want a straw, they’ll need to ask for one. It’s part of a trial to identify an appropriate solution to the brand’s pledge to ban plastic straws by 2020.

The environmental impact speaks for itself, so, why not skip the straw?