McDonald's Tests New Product Packaging in Attempt to Go Green — And Eliminates This Familiar Feature

Many businesses are taking steps toward a greener future — including McDonald’s.

The fast-food giant has started testing strawless lids in some U.S. cities as part of a multi-year initiative to make its packaging more eco-friendly, CNN Business reported. It’s part of the chain’s attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its offices and restaurants by 36% between 2015 and 2030.

Removing straws might seem like a small detail, but data from the nonprofit Ocean Conservancy revealed that nearly 7.5 million plastic straws were found on U.S. shorelines during a five-year research project — and that’s up to 8.3 billion on the world’s coastlines.

McDonald’s new plastic lids have a pullback tab to keep spillage at bay. Customers can tuck it into a small opening to sip their beverage, not unlike the design Starbucks rolled out several years ago.

“These lids help optimize our packaging and eliminate the use of small plastics, just one example of the many solutions we’re reviewing as part of our ongoing global commitment to reduce waste,” a McDonald’s spokesperson said in a statement.

McDonald’s Tests New Product Packaging in Attempt to Go Green — And Eliminates This Familiar Feature