It could be several years before New Zealanders see an end to plastic straws in McDonald's restaurants.
Photo: 123RF
The fast-food chain announced today it will start to phase out plastic straws in Britain in September following a petition signed by 500,000 people. The restaurant chain uses 1.8 million straws a day in the UK.
McDonald's New Zealand spokesperson Simon Kenny said there were no current plans here to get rid of plastic straws.
But he said a trial currently running in Taupō, in which customers were asked if they needed a straw, was working well.
"We've seen a significant reduction in the amount of straws that that restaurant's been using over the last few months, so I think that's probably a vote that people think it's the right thing to do."
Mr Kenny said a trial was also being run in Rangiora.
McDonalds had committed to offering only recyclable and sustainable packaging by 2025, but supply issues meant it was impractical to switch to fibre-based straws right now, he said.
RNZ / BBC
