MANY McDonald’s fans were in a fury after the fast food chain quietly swapped out its classic colorful straws for a new alternative.
Although a step above the widely hated paper straws, the new straws have not been taken well by some fast foodies.
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McDonald’s recently began replacing its iconic red, yellow, and white striped straws with clear straws in the US.
Despite the subtlety of the change, many fans of the chain have not taken lightly to the switch.
“Why yall change the straws?” fumed one customer (@randomvirgo20) in a TikTok video from November with over 2 million views.
“What happened to the regular white and yellow straws? Y’all getting cheap,” blasted the user as she struggled to puncture the cup with the straw, which bent before breaking through.
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“I don’t want no clear straw. I want a McDonald’s straw.”
Several McDonald’s fans were similarly against the new clear straws, complaining that they’re not as durable as the old striped ones.
“They are very flimsy, so that when you force them into the lid they just get smooshed flat by the lid opening, which is of much stronger plastic,” bashed one customer on Reddit.
Others even complained that the clear straw had a strange taste similar to “petroleum.”
“1000% affecting the taste of my drinks,” wrote one user. “Awful change.”
Some McDonald’s fans, on the other hand, had more favorable feelings toward the new straws.
Many found the straws to be an upgrade from the red, white, and yellow striped ones, calling the clear straws “so pretty” and claiming they made the chain’s drinks “taste more fancy.”
Others argued they were much better than paper straws, notorious for turning soggy after a few sips.
One TikTok user even begged the original poster to not complain, stating that in Europe they had straws made from pasta.
STRIDES IN SUSTAINABILITY
Plastic straws are a major contributor to plastic pollution, with billions of them ending up in landfills each year.
As part of an effort to reduce its environmental footprint, McDonald’s has previously made strides to cut back on its use of plastic straws.
For example, the fast food chain began switching to paper straws in the UK and Ireland in 2018.
McDonald’s locations in Japan, Canada, and Austria have also swapped out plastic straws for paper straws.
In the latter country, the fast food chain even began making bathing suits from a mix of recycled McDonald’s plastic straws and post-consumer plastic waste reclaimed from the ocean.
The new clear straws are allegedly an extension of the chain’s environmental efforts.
They are made from cellulose acetate, a bio-based and renewable material, a McDonald’s franchisee shared on X.
The U.S. Sun reached out to McDonald’s for comment.
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Other fast food chains are making big changes.
For example, a Taco Bell employee has revealed a new menu item will be discontinued days after launching.
Plus, Dunkin’ has announced a twist on fan favorite espresso with an iconic pop star.
