Here's why McDonald's will not be serving plastic straws with drinks in the UK and Ireland

As the world gears up now to fight against plastic pollution, the fast-food giant, McDonald’s (MCD) had initiated paper straws instead of their plastic counterparts at select locations, in September last year. Most of the customers appreciated the move and the company is now planning to scrap the use of plastic straws completely in 2019.

As per a report by CNN, Paul Pomroy, CEO of McDonald's UK and Ireland said, “Reflecting the broader public debate, our customers told us they wanted to see a move on straws but to do so without compromising their overall experience when visiting our restaurants.”

McD uses around 18 lakh straws every day in the UK and Ireland alone and this move can certainly help cut down plastic pollution.

Plastic straws are among the top ten types of litter around the world. They are not usually recycled since plastic straws are made of a mixture of polypropylene and polystyrene.

The UK Government applauded this move by McD. In a statement, Michael Gove, UK Environment Secretary said, “McDonald's has made a significant investment in UK manufacturing to produce an alternative to plastic, showing British businesses are taking a global lead.”

Apart from McD, many other restaurant chains like Pizza Express and Wagamama have also stopped using plastic straws. Many other companies like Coca-Cola, Nestle, Unilever and Procter and Gamble have pledged to reduce the amount of plastic used and disposed of in the United Kingdom.

Earlier in April this year, UK Prime Minister, Theresa May had indicated at banning plastic-stemmed cotton swabs, stirrers and plastic straws to curb the growing menace of plastic pollution. She had also urged the Commonwealth countries to come together to fight this menace.

Some manufacturers had argued that children, elderly, and some people with disabilities might require plastic straws. MCD has confirmed that the straws will be available at the counter and provided to those who require it.