Chief among them is US fast food chain McDonald’s, which has rolled out paper straws in several countries, notably all its United Kingdom stores. The move, however, has not been without its controversies as many customers have complained about the straws being soggy and rendering their drinks undrinkable.
Granted, this issue has been one that people have gotten broadly accepted, given the presumption that paper straws are better for the environment than the plastic equivalent. However, as revealed in an internal memo circulated by the Sun, McDonald’s new paper straws are not actually recyclable.
This was then confirmed, as a McDonald’s spokesman told the UK’s Press Association that “while the materials are recyclable, their current thickness makes it difficult for them to be processed by our waste solution providers, who also help us recycle our paper cups.”
The irony is that the plastic straws previously used were actually recyclable. However, the UK government aims to ban plastic straws by 2020, which is why chains have been encouraged to move away from single-use plastic.
Much like how organic cotton bags are actually worse for the environment than the public think, it appears this is another case of an ostensibly eco-friendly move being the opposite.
