For the first time we as a family visited McDonald’s and were given paper straws and cardboard balloon stick holders, instead of the usual plastic versions of both.
It is certainly true that paper straws do not last as long as plastic ones, that they can start to get soggy before you have finished the drink you have been given. On this visit we did not have any of these problems, they feel slightly different in the mouth but paper straws worked efficiently with both pop type drinks and milkshakes. Given the fact that they were not restricting the straws I am presuming that they got the cost down low enough for cost to not be an issue.
The balloon stick holders that are now made out of cardboard rather than plastic were in some ways more interesting. Given that they used to be made out of solid plastic, the volume of plastic used must have been significantly higher than a straw; it must have used the same amount of plastic as 10 or 20 straws. I have found that the balloon holders also work better, with the balloon wobbling far less (though the stick is shorter- possibly negative for children, but most parents will prefer that you get a balloon in the face less often!).
We have no idea how the plastic balloon sticks break down, or have any pictures of birds with these sticks half down their throat as we have had with straws. Given though that this stick was made out of plastic and that the world’s oil is a finite resource, however poor for the environment it was its time in use is limited by the availability of oil for the plastic.
How big or small a difference this makes to McDonald’s aims to have 100% recyclable rubbish I am not sure, but it is a very good step, and after Blue Planet 2 is something that the British Public has been calling for.
I suppose my one question would be in countries where Blue Planet 2 has not caused people to call for this change, is McDonald’s using its new cardboard straws or the old plastic ones? I hope that McDonald’s stick with these changes and that other countries also start to move away from single use plastics.
