McDonald's Taps Paper Straws in U.K. to Trim Down Plastic Waste

The world’s largest restaurant chain will begin to phase out plastic straws in some European markets as concerns about consumer waste mount. McDonald’s Corp. will start rolling out paper straws in the U.K. 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 U.S., France, Sweden and Norway later this year as it seeks to source more of its packaging across the globe from recycled sources.