Recently I was eating lunch at a McDonalds in Hong Kong (don’t judge, I ate plenty of authentic Chinese and Cantonese food during my trip!) and a sign near the cash register caught my attention. Strategically placed on top of the straw dispenser, it read “Say NO to straws. Save the environment!” Honestly, it stunned me for a minute. Reluctantly, I took a straw, but the bluntness of the message and being forced to acknowledge this issue before making a decision was amazing. I had never considered the environmental impact of straws before- I suppose I had lumped it in with the rest of food packaging that is unfortunate but required for safety and convenience. Straws, however, are certainly more of a luxury, and one could argue they’re simply an accessory born from poor drink packaging.
Launching a no-straw campaign in the United States would be challenging. McDonalds or Burger King or any other major fast food company would be unlikely to admit how many tons of straws they sell each year, but advertising this tidbit would be the single biggest reason to convince Americans that a change is needed. Imagine a world where McDonalds redesigned soda cups to have a lid you could pull open and drink through. Imagine America accepting that style of drinking as “normal” and perceiving those drinking with a straw as wasteful. Certainly drinks sold at the drive-through window should have straws for safety while driving, but those in the main dining rooms should have to request it. Imagine if Burger King offered plastic cups for in-restaurant diners that they reused to reduce waste. Some may argue the energy savings between washing reusable cups and manufacturing new disposable cups, but shifting a paradigm often requires short-term losses for long-term gains.
I looked around the Hong Kong McDonalds and saw most patrons using a straw. I was disappointed, only because the message and effort had been put forth but still largely ignored. With the fierce competition in the U.S. among fast food restaurants, it may be unlikely to see paradigm shifts in food packaging soon, but with full disclosure of the issue and a “let’s work together to fix this” mantra, perhaps some improvements can be made to reduce the environment impact of eating. Until then, the straw man will continue live on.