Today, McDonald’s Taiwan announced it would stop using plastic straws at all of its locations by June.
Beginning April 12, McDonald’s Taiwan will begin promoting a campaign called “drink cold drinks directly,” in an effort to dissuade customers from using straws. Paper straws will be offered to those with special needs, such as children.
Vice President of Supply Chain Management at McDonald’s in Taiwan, Lin Li-wen, told Taiwan News that he estimated the phasing out of straws will reduce plastic waste by 16%.
A flurry of plastic straw ban announcements came out several months ago. Corporations including McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Live Nation said they would ditch plastic straws. McDonald’s chains worldwide plan to switch to paper straws or ban altogether, while Starbucks introduced a recyclable plastic lid for iced drinks. Live Nation banned plastic straws from House of Blues locations in the US and will offer paper ones upon request only.
In July 2018, Marriott International announced a plan to remove disposable plastic straws and plastic stirrers from more than 6,500 properties across 30 brands globally by July 2019. The company says the move could eliminate the use of more than 1 billion plastic straws annually and about a quarter billion stirrers.
The plan gives hotel owners and franchisees time to go through their existing plastic straw supply, identify alternatives, and educate staff, according to Marriott International. Hotels will begin offering alternative straws upon request, the company added.
And in September 2018, Sandals Resorts International announced an initiative to abolish single-use plastic straws and stirrers. The hospitality company says that all 19 Sandals and Beaches Resorts, across seven Caribbean islands, will eliminate more than 21 million straws used at the resorts each year. More eco-friendly, paper straws will be available upon request.
The 4th Annual Environmental Leader & Energy Manager Conference takes place May 13 – 15, 2019 in Denver. Learn more here.
