In recent years there has been an explosion of policy counteracting the single use plastic problem which exists and has existed for many years in restaurants bars events and other venues. even before this policy was established for the future, many big brands are finally taking their first steps by removing plastic drawers from their shops and replacing them with better alternatives. However, it's up to you and your venue to work out whether you are going to be behind the curve or ahead of it. Here I'm going to cover all of the big brands that have adopted plastic straw alternatives and outline why in all cases it would have been best for them to go with Straw by Straw, to hopefully motivate you to make a change that is so important to our climate today.
McDonalds
Although slightly surprising given its reputation for easily messed up service and the unprofessional mood that comes with fast food, McDonald's has made a number of changes in their stores, including not only replacing plastic straws but removing plastic packaging across the world. While this is a big step, due to the fact that McDonald's have 122 countries that they work in, they have unsurprisingly been faced with some backlash. When first introduced, McDonald's used classic paper straws, And it's obvious why. these are commonly the cheapest alternative when it comes to zero plastic solutions. However, this is a classic example of why paper straws don't work. they had thousands of complaints and even a petition over the news draws in that label too soggy or the taste was harmed, or they simply were too flimsy for customers. While in 2019 they rolled out another batch of firmer paper straws there have been some criticisms of these from the fact that they still add a nasty taste 2 the possibility that they are not always fully recyclable after being used in a drink for a long period of time. Additionally, these newspaper straws could cost up to five times the price. on the other hand straw by straw has entirely flexibel straws for a cheap price similar to the cheapest paper straws. not only this but with the 100% natural gluten free and no taste added solution we are far ahead of McDonald's now.
Pret a Manger
While Pret is a classier brand based in the U.K. and France, they have avoided the fault McDonald's made with paper straws - however their solution is not ideal - they have decided to remove straws altogether from their stores and this is harmful for a number of reasons. Firstly, many people require straws, whether protecting their teeth from harmful drinks as many do, or disabled people who need straws to consume beverages safely as they cannot simply drink from a mug. Given that an option is possible and would be better for customers, it would be far better for Pret to adopt Straw By Straw, as we both act as a safe, eco-friendly plastic, and fit into their branding of naturally sourced products.
Starbucks
As for Starbucks, they’ve currently gone for PLA ‘biodegradable plastic’ straws. Although these straws are supposedly ‘biodegradable’ they actually utterly fail at replacing single use plastics in a sustainable way and genuinely simply lead to mostly the same plastic waste. You can read more about why they fail here, but also they’re entirely unsustainable (at least in the EU) as they’re likely to be banned in the next 5 years. Straw by Straw offers a solution which is 100% compostable, 100% sustainable and under zero legal threat in the next 15 years.
If you’d like to make small but powerful changes to your restaurant and consider some plastic alternatives, Straw By Straw IS the place to start. Every day we use thousands of plastic straws around the globe. Why continue with that when there are millions of straws growing in nature every year?
You can buy from us here or read more on our product here.
If you’re a restaurant or events organiser considering taking on our solution, please feel free to contact us via e-mail on ‘theo@strawbystraw.com’ or on mobile at +31648142608.
