McDonald's Follows Starbucks' Lead With Key Change

The fast food chain is testing an environmentally conscious concept and likely plans to implement it more broadly.

In 2020, Starbucks  (SBUX) - Get Free Report unveiled a new strawless lid for its cold beverages in what it called an effort to eliminate a billion plastic straws globally per year.

The lid was modeled after the one customers regularly use for hot drinks, but the company offers the new ones for plastic cups containing iced coffee and tea.

"We developed and trialed several prototypes to arrive at this milestone," the company said on its website at the time. 

"A recyclable, strawless lid becoming the standard for iced drinks is one small way we can give more than we take from the planet," it continued. "This is a significant moment for Starbucks as we work to reduce waste and safeguard the environment." 

Plastic straws are a particular threat to sea life because they don't biodegrade and are easily ingestible, environmental groups argue. A video of a straw being removed from a sea turtle's nose a few years ago drew particular attention to the problem.

McDonald's is Testing Something Similar

McDonald's  (MCD) - Get Free Report is now testing a similar concept, with a pullback tab.

"McDonald's is currently testing strawless lids for our cold beverages in select U.S. markets," McDonald’s said, according to Restaurant Business. 

"These lids help optimize our packaging and eliminate the use of small plastics, just one example of the many solutions we’re reviewing as part of our ongoing global commitment to reduce waste across restaurants and advance recycling," it continued.

One unimpressed Twitter user posted a photo of a note he found when purchasing a McDonald's drink product with one of the test cups. The note contained a quick Q&A about the fast food chain's "Our Journey Towards Good" campaign. 

"Brilliant," @hinrichsrich exclaims. "No more straws to save the earth from plastic use yet you changed from a paper cup to plastic. Thanks for the inconenience of trying to drink out of a zippy cup."

"McDonald's cares about our community and continually looks for ways to reduce the impact our packaging has on the environment," the note says. "At this restaurant, we are using a new lid that does not require a straw for all iced McCafe juice and soft drink beverages to reduce our plastic usage."