McDonald’s to test plastic-straw alternatives in U.S.

McDonald’s announced Friday that it will test alternatives to plastic straws in some U.S. restaurants this year.

The Chicago-based fast-food chain also said it was rolling out paper straws in all 1,361 restaurants in the U.K. and Ireland by next year, and will test other options in markets globally. The announcements come amid a global movement to eliminate the use of plastic straws, which are difficult to recycle and often end up in the ocean.

Last month, McDonald’s shareholders overwhelmingly voted down a proposal to study alternatives to plastic straws. The company, which advised shareholders to reject the proposal, said it was already undertaking such work.

“McDonald’s is committed to using our scale for good and working to find sustainable solutions for plastic straws globally,” Francesca DeBiase, McDonald’s executive vice president for global supply chain and sustainability, said in a statement. “We hope this work will support industrywide change and bring sustainable solutions to scale.”

McDonald’s said that it has begun testing alternatives to plastic straws in Belgium, and that it will try other options in France, Sweden, Norway and Australia.

Because of its massive size, McDonald’s can effect significant change in the supply chain, as it did when it announced it would use eggs only from cage-free hens. The company previously announced a goal to source all its packaging from renewable, recycled or certified sources by 2025.