McDonald's Fans Say Plastic Straws Are 'Ruining' The Taste Of Their Drinks
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McDonald's fans are demanding the fast food chain bring back plastic straws, claiming the newly-introduced paper straws are not fit for purpose.
So far, a staggering 30,000 people have a signed a petition to reinstate plastic straws after the chain got rid of them last year in response to plastic pollution concerns.
Some are complaining paper straws are dissolving into their drinks and ruining the taste, particularly with the chain's signature milkshakes.
One angry customer tweeted, "paper straws and milk shakes [sic] don't go together," adding: "Won't be coming back."
Another vented: "How are @McDonald's serving milkshakes with a paper straw... what a joke."
Tweeting the brand directly, another customer said: "The new paper straws are horrible, bring back the plastic," before adding the telling hashtag, "#coketasteslikepaper".
"How I meant to drink my milkshake outta this lmao (sic). Stop with the paper straws..." another demanded.
Yo @McDonaldsUK how I meant to drink my milkshake outta this lmao. Stop with the paper straws... pic.twitter.com/qKsH3cJ8hB
- Joe Gomez (@joegmez) April 21, 2019
Last year, McDonald's made the decision to switch to paper straws after a custom campaign which gained nearly 500,000 backers at the time.
Before the switch, McDonald's were using an astonishing 1.8 million straws in the UK everyday, amid mounting concerns about the impact on the environment.
The company vowed to introduce paper straws into 1,361 outlets in the UK and Northern Ireland and to become completely plastic straw-free by the end of this year.
While the majority of petitioners want rid of paper straws for user experience reasons, there is an argument among environmentalists that paper straws are just as bad as plastic straws due to their pollutive effects.
According to Clean Water Action, paper products are more resource-intensive in terms of energy and water than plastic products. They are also far heavier than plastic, so require more fuel to transport them, adding to pollution.
If there's one thing experts agree on, it's that single-use products pose a major problem to the planet.
Thankfully, brands and the public alike are wising up about the environmental benefits of reusable straws, and more and more options are becoming readily available to the public.
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One popular option is stainless steel straws, which often come with cases and cleaning brushes. There is also a growing choice of silicone straws, bamboo straws and glass straws on the market.
Topics: Environment, Food & Drink