New York — The world’s largest restaurant chain will begin to phase out plastic straws in some European markets as concern about consumer waste mounts. McDonald’s will start rolling out paper straws in the UK and Ireland, with plans to phase out the plastic variety in all 1,361 locations there in 2019. The company, which has also been testing alternatives in Belgium, will begin trials in select restaurants in the US, France, Sweden and Norway later this year as it seeks to source more of its packaging across the globe from recycled sources. Plastic waste has come under fire globally, particularly for contributing to ocean pollution and harming birds and sea mammals. In May, McDonald’s shareholders overwhelmingly rejected a proposal asking the company for a report about the business risks associated with plastic straws. The chain may be forced to phase out plastic straws whether they want to or not. UK Prime Minister Theresa May said earlier this spring that she aims to ban the sale ...
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