As part of an effort to further reduce plastic waste, McDonald’s is investigating a new approach to downgrade the usage of straws. The franchise is currently testing a new lid entirely, that doesn’t require the usage of a straw and is merely, “sippable”.
Some markets in the upper mid-west have already deployed the new lid to see how it fares with customers and gauge how they react to the new change.
The new lid has a tab that pulls back similarly to a sippy cup and tucks into a slot to stay opened. Once finished, the pull-tab is put back into place protecting from spillage.
“These lids help optimize our packaging and eliminate the use of small plastics, just one example of the many solutions we’re reviewing as part of our ongoing global commitment to reduce waste,” a McDonald’s released in a statement.
McDonald’s made the switch to paper straws over time from 2018 to 2021, and the debut, and continued use led to less than a stellar response. The new paper straw, as it turns out, wasn’t exactly recyclable.
However, the plastic straws that they were replacing, were, in fact…recyclable.
Furthermore, customers voiced their disgust for the new paper straws because they became soggy in a short matter of time, rendering them useless.
A petition was started online to bring back the McDonald’s straws they used to know and love. The plastic kind. No plans were made by McDonald’s to walk back the plastic straw ban in response to the paper-based hating contingent.
McDonald’s has the hope that the new straw-less lids will eliminate the need for “any” straws in the future, whether they be plastic, or paper.
