MSP blasts McDonald’s for excluding Scotland from their paper straw trials
McDonald’s have snubbed Scottish customers by refusing to provide them with alternatives to plastic straws, campaigners have claimed.
Scotland is set to become the first plastic straw-free country in Europe after the Sunday Mail ’s Last Straw campaign.
Before the ban becomes law, companies are being urged to stop prov id ing the env ironmental ly damag ing pla s t ic straws.
The fast food giants are set to phase out plastic straws from their UK restaurants, only keeping them behind the counter for customers who ask for them. The firm are also trialling paper straws from May in some of their 1300 restaurants – but they confirmed to the Sunday Mail that none of them will be in Scotland.
The decision has been met with dismay by campaigners.
MSP Kate Forbes, who has led calls to ban plastic straws, said: “I recognise that a phased approach makes sense, particularly to ensure that any customers who need straws such as disabled customers can access alternatives. However, I am disappointed that Scottish restaurants won’t be included in the pilot.
“Scotland has been leading the way on environmental initiatives to tackle waste. We added a levyy to all plastic bags first, we announcednced our intentions to introduce a deposit return scheme first and some of the first public ic bodies to ban plastic c straws are in Scotland.
“It is disappointing that McDonald’s don’t recognise that people in n Scotland are taking their r responsibility to reduce ce plastic litter seriously as I know there wi l l be lotsots of customers who actuallyl wantanttoto choose an alternative to plastic straws.
“Once international chains recognise their own contribution to plastic waste and take actions to reduce it, I think we will start to make an impact. Every country has to take responsibility and I feel like McDonald’s are snubbing Scotland with their decision to base all pilots elsewhere.” The Sunday Mai l ’ s Last Straw campaign has been backed by politicians, music venues and festivals, thousandsthousand of businesses and membersmembe of the public. EnvironmentEn Secretary Roseanna Ros Cunningham told to us that she hopes to ban plastic straws by the end of next year in response to our campaign.ca McDonaldM ’s said: “PilotPilo restaurants were selectedselect on an operational basis to ensure the most successful ttrial possible. “Following customer feedback in Scotland and the rest of the UK, we’ll be moving our straws behind our counters. “Together w ith our Scot t ish customers, we can do our bit for the environment and use fewer straws.”