McDonald's Taupo franchise owner Eileen Byrne (centre) says straws are being offered to soft-drink purchasers - but not included automatically, in an effort to cut back on waste. She is pictured with managers Charlotte Drinnan and Jeffery Bennett

McDonald's is taking a suck it and see approach to being a strawless fast food restaurant.

The no-straw policy is being trialled at its Taupō restaurant.

Straws aren't being automatically thrown in with diners' meals in what is being touted by the restaurant as a world-first step to reduce non-biodegradable waste.

ROBERT STEVEN/STUFF Customers are being encouraged to drink from the cup at McDonald's Taupo, in an effort to cut back on non-biodegradable straw-use.

Franchise owner Eileen Byrne said the restaurant would run a trial for three months to see what people thought of the initiative.

"If people are having soft drinks, we'll ask them if they want a straw – it won't be automatically included."

"But Frozen Cokes, McFlurry and milkshake-buying customers will still receive the straw-spoon," she said.

ROBERT STEVEN/STUFF McDonald's Taupo is running a trial where straws aren't included automatically in an attempt to reduce the waste their fast-food causes.

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The striped straws are made from polypropylene – a byproduct of fossil fuel petroleum – and take up to two hundred years to biodegrade, Byrne said.

Kiwis use 540 million straws each year – enough to circumnavigate the planet two and a half times, she said.

ROBERT STEVEN/STUFF McDonald's Taupo customer George Mabbutt says optional straws will be beneficial to the environment.

Manager Jeffery Bennett said staff were being trained to offer straws in every instance – especially in the drive-through.

"Just like asking 'would you like fries with that?', we'll be asking if they'd like a straw with their drink," he said.

If any confusion or language-barrier difficulties arose, a straw would be offered by default, he said.

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Customers that Stuff spoke with had differing views.

"I think it's annoying, to be honest," Huia Rehua said.

"If they forget to offer you a straw and you're travelling, you might try to take the lid off and cause an accident.

"But I suppose it's a good idea if you're eating in-store."

George Mabbutt said he didn't realise the straws weren't biodegradable.

"I think it's a good idea as it will be beneficial to the environment.

"If I had ordered a Coke and they'd asked, I probably have declined the straw – I don't see why they're necessary if you're eating in-store."

Byrne said she hoped the idea caught on.

"We're hoping it'll trigger a whole lot more. Everything has to have a starting point."

Bennett said cardboard straws, or even wax straws, were concepts that he'd heard talked about.

McDonald's Global would be keeping an eye on the trial, Byrne said.

"There are 37,000 McDonald's restaurants in the world, and they all took this on, and reduced straw usage by one straw a day, that'd be 37,000 fewer straws every day," he said.

* Feedback on the straws can be given through the "My Macca's Review" app