McDonald’s paper straws can’t be recycled

Fast food giant McDonald’s has come under fire after it was revealed that their self-proclaimed “eco-friendly” paper straws cannot be recycled.

Just last year McDonald’s ditched plastic straws in aid of helping with the environmental crisis. It led the way for other companies – big and small – to scrap their plastic straws too. In fact, it’s now pretty uncommon to find somewhere with plastic straws in the UK these days.

The news came following a report from The Sun, which found that staff are advised to put the current straws in general waste bins rather than recycling them.

According to a spokesperson for McDonald’s, this advice is only temporary and they are working to find a solution.

McDonald’s paper straws are made out of recyclable material, but the problem is that the thickness of the straws makes them difficult to be processed.

“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.

It’s certainly not the news environment campaigners were wanting to hear, especially as the firm goes through 1.8 million straws per day.