McDonald's shareholders vote against plastic straw study

Zlati Meyer | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption How little plastic straws are wrecking our oceans Alaska Airlines is the latest big company to ditch plastic straws. Here's why we all should, too.

McDonald's shareholders Thursday turned aside a proposal to take the first step toward a ban on plastic straws.

A shareholder proposal backed by a consumer group received only 7.65% of the vote at the company's annual meeting. The measure would have required McDonald's to prepare a report to shareholders about the business risks of using plastic straws.

The rejection was not unexpected given that McDonald's management had recommended against it. In doing so, it cited a series of major steps it is taking to cut waste and boost the company's sustainability image.

The fast-food chain distributes an estimated 95 million single-use straws around the world every day, according to the consumer advocacy group SumOfUs.

"The problem with plastic is that it never disappears. It breaks into smaller and smaller pieces," marine biologist and SumOfUs member Elaine Leung said at the meeting. "Although many of you may see plastic straws as a harmless little item, they soon add up and their size means they pose a particular hazard."

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More than 480,00 people added their names to a SumOfUs online petition urging McDonald's to get rid of plastic straws, the organization said. McDonald's restaurants in the United Kingdom are experimenting with paper straws and keeping the plastic ones behind the counter, available only on request.

"We continue to work to find a more sustainable solution for plastic straws globally," the McDonald's said Monday. "In the meantime, we have adopted compostable straws in certain markets to meet regulations while we work with packaging experts to develop a planet-friendly, cost-effective answer for all McDonald’s restaurants."

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