McDonald's New Strawless Lids Are Sending Customers Into A Frenzy
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on February 4, 2023 at 6:00 PM EST
The fast food chain, McDonald's, is known for its Happy Meals, its McRib, and, of course, its famous breakfast including the McGriddle.
Over the years, the global company has made additions and removals to its menu, causing social media to go into a frenzy. Now, McDonald's has divided fans once again with its latest roll-out -- strawless lids.
Controversial Strawless Lids at McDonald's
The fast-food chain first began testing the strawless lids, which are similar to sippy-cup-type cups and resemble the lids used at Starbucks, were tested in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but are now being rolled out to various locations throughout the United States.
“McDonald’s is currently testing strawless lids for our cold beverages in select U.S. markets,” a McDonald’s spokesperson told TODAY. “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.”
Similar to Starbucks, McDonald's customers can still request a straw if they would like.
Additionally, McDonald's states on its website that as of 2021, "approximately 82.7% of its primary packaging materials come from recycled or certified sources" and the company wants to hit its goal of 100% recycled or renewable materials by the end of 2025.
"Our ambition is to drastically reduce plastics in Happy Meal toys and transition to more sustainable materials by the end of 2025," the company said. "Since 2018, we have reduced virgin fossil fuel-based plastic in Happy Meal toys by 24.4% globally, and we continue to work on sourcing materials used in Happy Meal toys from renewable, recycled or certified sources."
Social Media Divided Over New Strawless Lid
The new announcement has fans outraged, with many taking to social media to share their thoughts.
One fan feels it is unsanitary as they Tweeted, "That’s disgusting 🤮 that means the employees will be touching the lids as they already do with - FLITHY hands and now your mouth/lips will be directly touching the lids. F’ THAT!!!"
Another fan said, "Keep it up and CUSTOMERS will be a thing of the past, too.."
While one Twitter user voiced, "That just sounds like a new way to have dangerously hot coffee spilled on me."
On the other hand, some fans like the new strawless lids. "I would prefer this [because] straws are nasty and bad for the environment," one fan Tweeted while another wrote, "Good, about damn time. I’ve picked up damn near 5000 straws on the shores of the Delaware River in one small mile long stretch in a year. #BanPlastics."
The Blast does want to point out that the cups and the lids McDonald's is using are still plastic. This is something another user pointed out, writing, "Went from paper cups with plastic straws to no straw and fully plastic cups…"
And one user decided to poll Twitter users, asking "The question of: paper, plastic... or lid? McDonald's is moving away from straws and testing its "strawless lids"(sippy cup-style). How do you feel about the restaurant chain moving away from straws all together for the lid?"
56.4% say they are down for strawless lids while 43,6% oppose, saying they prefer the straw.