McDonald's paper straw rollout to start in September

This is part of the global brand’s goal to source 100% of guest packaging from renewable, recycled, or certified sources by 2025.

More than a thousand McDonald's restaurants in the UK and Ireland will begin their phased rollout of paper straws starting September, the brand confirms.

"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. Over the past few months we've been working closely with supplier partners to find a solution that works both for our customers, and that the supply is there given the size of our business,” McDonald's UK and Ireland CEO Paul Pomroy said.

McDonald's supply of paper straws in the UK will be met by suppliers Transcend Packaging, a Wales-based start-up focused on sustainable packaging; and Huhtamaki Foodservice EAO, global fibre-based packaging partner, which has worked with McDonald's for over 30 years.

The amounts paper used by both suppliers will come from certified source and endorsed by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) or FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).

The iconic global brand’s UK move reportedly supports their goal of sourcing 100% of guest packaging from renewable, recycled, or certified sources by 2025 and to have guest packaging recycling in all restaurants globally.

"McDonald's is committed to using our scale for good and working to find sustainable solutions for plastic straws globally,” McDonald’s Executive Vice President for Global Supply Chain and Sustainability Francesca DeBiase said.

McDonald’s has also started to test alternatives to plastic straws in Belgium and is scheduled to do the same for in select restaurants in the U.S., France, Sweden and Norway later this year.