McDonald's urged by customers to ditch 'useless' paper straws

McDonald’s is being pressured by customers to get rid of their new paper straws amid complaints they are “soggy” and difficult to use.

The fast food chain recently introduced white paper straws to replace red and yellow striped plastic ones, following a petition last year backed by almost 85,000 people.

The new straws, which have been introduced in 1,361 McDonald’s restaurants across the country, follow growing concerns over plastic pollution. To put this in context, in the UK, we throw away an estimated 4.4 billion plastic straws every year.

However, in the past week, a further 37,931 (and counting) have now signed a new petition started by campaigner Martin Reed to ‘Bring back McDonald’s straws’.

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A number of disgruntled McDonald’s customer have weighed in on Twitter to voice their grievances against the new straws.

The straws are said to pose a particular problem to McDonalds milkshake drinkers, according to the negative feedback.

However, others have hit back at those criticising the paper straws, saying the environmental impact of paper straws is much more important.

Meanwhile, some people are suggesting McDonalds haven’t gone far enough in its planet-saving initiatives, pointing out you still have to insert the paper straws through a plastic lid.

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Whether it’s a case of McDonalds redesigning its new paper straws or customers simply getting used to the new kind, plastic pollution is an inescapable global concern which requires individuals and companies to do their bit.

For those looking for alternatives to paper straws, you can purchase a reusable steel straw – complete with case and cleaning brush – from the Newchic website.

You can also buy silicone and acrylic straws on Amazon.