McDonald’s is getting rid of plastic straws in its UK restaurants from May
The fast-food chain will be trying out replacing plastic straws with paper ones that are better for the environment
FAST-food chain McDonald's will be getting rid of plastic straws and replacing them with paper ones.
From May, straws will be kept behind the counter and only given out when a customer asks for it.
The free plastic straws given out by the restaurant are already recyclable but the fast food giant is taking steps in the UK to make its packaging even more environmentally friendly.
McDonald's boss Paul Pomroy said: "Customers have told us that they don't want to be given a straw and that they want to have to ask for one, so we're acting on that.
"Straws are one of those things that people feel passionately about, and rightly so, and we're moving those straws behind the front counter."
It's believed that the UK uses around 8.5billion single-use plastic straws every year, and now retailers are taking steps to banish them.
Supermarket chain Iceland has already stopped selling them, while Pizza Express, Wagamama, Costa and pub chain JD Wetherspoon have both announced plans to phase them out.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove is expected to announce a ban on plastic straws too ahead of Brexit.
The McDonald's boss also said that they are "really close" to making all of its packaging recyclable.
The fast food giant has already switched its burger boxes from polystyrene to recycled board and says the last challenge it faces are the plastic lids on the cups.
He said: "Those are complicated, but we're working with our suppliers to find a solution to that.
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"We're really close, so we hope within the next year to be able to have a lid that's recyclable and serves the same purpose - for hot and cold drinks."
Scenes in Sir David Attenborough’s wildlife documentary Blue Planet II featuring a whale carrying her dead newborn around for days brought plastic sea pollution into the limelight.
Since then, PM Theresa May has announced a new 25-year plan to tackle plastic pollution, including plastic-free supermarket aisles.
Already, Ministers have come under fire after it was revealed that the number of plastic straws used by MPs in the House of Commons is a whopping 12,250 - double the figure from three years ago.
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