McDonald's plastic straw petition: Call to ditch paper straws

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McDonald's are phasing paper straws into their 1,361 UK and Ireland restaurants

McDonald's is being called on to stop its roll out of paper straws in the UK and Ireland, amid claims that they “dissolve” in drinks.

The fast food giant is switching from plastic to paper straws at their 1,361 restaurants after customer pressure.

An online petition calling for a return to plastic straws has so far garnered more than 35,000 signatures.

McDonald's say they are “doing the right thing” while a supplier said customers need to “compromise”.

The restaurant chain supplies 1.8 million straws to its four million UK customers each day.

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Petition creator Martin Reed started it a week ago, complaining the new paper straws dissolve as you drink them.

Many social media users agree, with some claiming paper straws are “horrible” while one says it is like “drinking a milkshake through an empty toilet roll tube”.

Skip Twitter post by @sirusdavirus87

@McDonalds what good is a straw when its made of cardboard and becomes unusable.. yh trying to recycle etc but this is not tue way to go pic.twitter.com/kL4HieV8pd

— Brian Larmour (@sirusdavirus87) April 24, 2019

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Skip Twitter post by @Millsybaby

Seriously @McDonaldsUK I'm all up for saving the turtles but who passed these straws as suitable for your milkshakes？ Falling to bits before we've even seen any dairy. Poor show. pic.twitter.com/oCn17bziD0

— Chris Mills (@Millsybaby) April 19, 2019

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Skip Twitter post by @Edg1e

It's now impossible to drink a McDonalds milkshake through one of their new paper straws........ #SOGGY

— Edgie (@Edg1e) April 24, 2019

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Others have defended McDonald's decision, saying “be thankful none of those straws will be left to destroy our planet for the next 400 odd years”.

Another petition calling for a ban of plastic straws in cinemas has more than 215,000 signatures since going online last year.

Skip Twitter post by @WJNGaming

If youre one of the 30k people who have signed the petition for @McDonalds to bring back plastic straws because it “ruins your drink”, your priorities need a serious looking at - your plastic straw aids in ruining the planet, so suck it up and use a god damn paper straw ？

— Will (@WJNGaming) April 23, 2019

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Skip Twitter post by @mirranweirr

There is much more important things in this world than the material that straws are made from. If McDonalds having paper straws upset you so much I would suggest you need to spend less time in McDonalds. If you are complaining, please, please GET A LIFE

— Weir？ (@mirranweirr) April 21, 2019

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Skip Twitter post by @meganmudiex

mcdonalds in the uk alone uses 1.8 MILLION!!!! straws per day, so next time ur moaning about ur soggy paper straw get a GRIP and be thankful none of those straws will be left to destroy our planet for the next 400 odd years :))

— Megan (@meganmudiex) April 21, 2019

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End of Twitter post by @meganmudiex

McDonald's has said their suppliers have made paper straws that last “at least 30 minutes in most, if not all liquids”

They say they are “pleased” to be “taking significant steps to reduce our environmental impact”.

One of McDonald's paper straw suppliers says the product will evolve as the fledgling industry develops.

Skip Twitter post by @DynamicBarton

Just at @McDonalds and this is the first time I‘ve tried a drink with a paper straw. I must say it’s not amazing but not bad either. I can taste the texture of the straw (cardboard taste) but I still get the nice taste of my drink so why people complain？ pic.twitter.com/wz1gqxCrNt

— ？ Barton ？ (@DynamicBarton) April 22, 2019

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End of Twitter post by @DynamicBarton

“It is a relatively new industry in the UK and products will grow as raw materials improve,” said Mark Varney of Transcend Packaging in south Wales.

“But there has to be a compromise in the drinking experience when making a product that is due to last for 30 to 40 minutes after drinking, compared to 150 years.”

Mr Varney said the paper straws “are rigorously tested to last for an hour after drinking” at their factory in Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent.

“And with such extensive ongoing research and development, the product will only get better as it evolves,” he added

The UK and Ireland paper straw roll-out will be completed in 2019 and follows many businesses, including Waitrose, Costa Coffee, Wagamama and JD Wetherspoon pubs.