Bans on plastic straws have increasingly become all the rage with virtue-signaling environmentalists both here at home and abroad who believe they can save the world 1 paper straw at a time.
But they’re finding out that an increasing number of consumers are complaining about how the flimsy paper straws dissolve when used in drinks. See below for examples:
Yo @McDonaldsUK how I meant to drink my milkshake outta this lmao. Stop with the paper straws… pic.twitter.com/qKsH3cJ8hB
— Joe Gomez (@joegmez) April 21, 2019
"Just use a paper straw” pic.twitter.com/jBVCi15p8u
— Brandon Yan 甄念本 (@CitizenYan) July 24, 2019
This has forced service providers in the U.K. to increase the thickness of the straws.
As a result, at least one fast food chain is admitting that they can’t recycle the thicker paper straws, per the BBC:
McDonald’s new paper straws – described as “eco-friendly” by the US fast food giant – cannot be recycled.
Last year, it axed plastic straws, even though they were recyclable, in all its UK branches as part of a green drive.
But the US fast food giant says the new paper straws are not yet easy to recycle and should be put into general waste.
McDonald’s says the materials are recyclable, but their thickness makes it difficult for them to be processed.
The firm switched from plastic straws to paper ones in its restaurants in the UK and Republic of Ireland last autumn.
The straws are manufactured by Transcend Packaging, based in Ebbw Vale, south Wales.
But some customers were unhappy with the new straws, saying they dissolved before a drink could be finished, with milkshakes particularly hard to drink.
“As a result of customer feedback, we have strengthened our paper straws, so while the materials are recyclable, their current thickness makes it difficult for them to be processed by our waste solution providers, who also help us recycle our paper cups,” a McDonald’s spokesman said.
Want to know what the irony is? Unlike the thicker paper straws, the plastic straws they no longer use can be recycled – and reused.
In spite of complaints about the usability of paper straws, England is on track to completely ban plastic straws by April 2020, outside of those who request them due to medical needs.
Was McDonald’s self-imposed ban on plastic straws a gimmick in order to please the green community? Probably:
An insider at the chain told the tabloid [Sun]: “When McDonald’s introduced paper straws it was getting pats on the back for being environmentally responsible.
“But it seems like it was a stunt to appease green campaigners because the things go straight in the rubbish. It’s ridiculously stupid.”
[…]
Former climate change secretary Ed Davey said, according to the Daily Telegraph: “It really can’t be that difficult to replace plastic straws. People will be left wondering whether this was just greenwash or a monumental cock-up.”
Gee, ya think?
Earlier this year, eBay users in the U.K. began selling plastic straws as people rushed to buy them before they were banned.
Last month, the Trump campaign began selling plastic “Trump” straws as a dig a liberal global warming alarmists. “Liberal paper straws don’t work …buy your pack of recyclable straws today” was the message posted on the website to encourage people to buy the straws.
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— Based in North Carolina, Sister Toldjah is a former liberal and a 15+ year veteran of blogging with an emphasis on media bias, social issues, and the culture wars. Read her Red State archives here. Connect with her on Twitter. –
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