SIP HITS THE FAN AT McD’S ‘Eco-straw’w fiasco

Green warriors are not lovin’ this. McDonald’s so-called “eco-friendly” paper straws cannot be recycled — and must be tossed along with general waste, according to a report. The fast-food giant eliminated plastic straws in all of its UK outlets last year as part of a green drive, despite the fact that they were “100 percent recyclable.” But according to an internal Mickey D’s memo cited by The Sun newspaper in Britain, the new straws “are not yet recyclable and should be disposed of in general waste until further notice.” “As a result of customer feedback, we have strengthened our paper straws, so while the materials are recyclable, their current thickness makes it difficult for them to be processed by our waste solution providers,” a McDonald’s rep told the BBC in a statement. The company switched from plastic to paper straws in its restaurants in the UK and the Republic of Ireland this past fall. McDonald’s uses some 1.8 million straws a day in the UK alone. Many customers were dismayed over the paper straws, saying they dissolve before a drink could be finished.hd A campaign on theh petition Web site 38Degrees to bring back plastic straws at UK McDonald’s outlets has been signed by more than 51,000 people.

An insider told The Sun, “When McDonald’s introduced paper straws it was getting pats on the back for being environmentally responsible.

“But it seems like it was a stunt to appease green campaigners because the things go straight in the rubbish. It’s ridiculously stupid.”

If not recycled, some single-use plastic products can take hundreds of years to decompose. Most straws are made from plastics such as polypropylene and polystyrene.

Julian Kirby, an anti-plastics campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: “For too long the debate has been stuck on recycling and how to deal with waste once it is created. We should be thinking about how to avoid waste creation.

“Lips have been a wastefree alternative to straws for millions of years,” he said.