From: FoodBev

McDonald’s has announced that all of its 1,361 restaurants in the UK and Ireland will transition from plastic straws to paper straws by the end of 2019.

McDonald’s said that the transition will begin in September, in a move which supports the fast food giant’s goal to make 100% of packaging at its global restaurants fully recyclable by 2025.

Alternatives to plastic straws will also be trialled at selected restaurants in the US, France, Sweden, Norway and Australia later this year, and the company announced that a trial is already underway in Belgium.

The company also announced that it would begin to test a new straw offering system in markets such as Malaysia, where straws will be offered upon request only.

Francesca DeBiase, executive vice-president – global supply chain and sustainability, said: “McDonald’s is committed to using our scale for good and working to find sustainable solutions for plastic straws globally.

“In addition to the exciting news from the UK 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 move is the latest sustainability pledge made by the fast food giant, as the company announced earlier this year that it will attempt to reduce carbon emissions by 36% at its restaurants and offices by 2030.