McDonald's, the world's largest fast-food chain, has announced plans to replace plastic cutlery with wooden cutlery and switch to biodegradable paper straws in all of its UK restaurants by 2025.
The move comes as part of McDonald's commitment to reduce its plastic waste and improve its sustainability practices. The switch to wooden cutlery and biodegradable paper straws is expected to remove 1,200 tonnes of plastic from the company's operations in the UK annually.
McDonald's UK and Ireland CEO, Tarek Farahat, said in a statement, "We are committed to reducing our environmental impact and we can, and want to, be part of the solution to the plastic crisis by taking urgent actions based on what our customers tell us matters."
The company has also pledged to make 100% of its packaging from renewable, recycled or certified sources by 2025 and to recycle all customer packaging in its restaurants by 2025.
This move by McDonald's is significant as the fast-food chain is a major contributor to plastic waste globally. By making these changes, McDonald's is setting an example for other fast-food chains and restaurants to follow, and is helping to drive demand for more sustainable packaging options.
