Whenever fast-food brands change anything at all about our favourite items, it can be agitating and difficult to reckon with. While some changes can be truly a downgrade for fans, there are also policy decisions that are being made by brands due to larger and more pressing issues, such as the environment.
Discover our latest podcast
Earlier Burger King eliminated plastic lids from their cups, and this week McDonald's has also made some major changes in order to reduce waste. As reported by Manchester Evening News, McDonald’s is putting an end to using plastic cutleries across all its restaurants in England and Wales.
We're making a big change...🚨 pic.twitter.com/5jISnA7w9R
— McDonald's UK (@McDonaldsUK) November 8, 2022
McDonald’s Plan for Change
McDonald’s is taking the sweeping measure in order to cut down on generating plastic waste. The current move is projected to eliminate 858 metric tonnes of plastic use per year.
McDonald’s is introducing new cutlery which are all made of paper. These are renewable, FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified pressed-paper which are also fully recyclable and compostable. The new cutlery has been rolled out across England and Wales from November 8.
These changes are part of McDonald’s Plan for Change program under which the company aims to take action on climate issues, while addressing questions of sustainability. It aims for all McDonald's restaurants and offices to reach net-zero emissions by 2030.
Fan reactions
Clearly, the current changes have been made for a very admirable reason. However, some fans are not at all pleased by the packaging change, particularly for McFlurry, which has until now been served with an iconic plastic spoon with a unique product design.
One person replied to McDonald's Tweet saying,
Maccies using paper spoons aswell as straws now is criminal
Another said,
Paper spoons at maccies? Gonna eat it with my hands instead
Yet another person stated,
what is with the new mcflurry spoons I feel like im eating a mcflurry with an Argos catalogue
Even taking account of the sad demise of the McFlurry Spoon and any initial hesitations in switching over to paper cutlery, the current move is a step in the right direction considering sustainable consumption has become a necessity for the future of our planet.
Sources used:
Manchester Evening News: "I could sob": McDonald's customers 'raging' about major change in all UK restaurants
