McDonald's New Straws Are Being Met With A Pile Of Complaints
French fries unknowingly cooked in animal fat and foodborne illness outbreaks are rightfully matters of controversy at the largest fast food chain in the world. But new straws? That doesn't seem like a likely candidate for stirring up complaints, especially considering McDonald's has changed its packaging in the past. However, this switch-up, which took place in 2024, has been causing the fast food chain to face some backlash.
The new straws that come served with McDonald's drinks, from sodas to milkshakes, look like, well, standard straws. They're thin and clear, nothing out of the ordinary. But according to viral social media videos and forum threads, almost as soon as one of the straws is popped into a drink, it cracks. And it's not just one small crack at the top or bottom, but multiple cracks along the sides, making it impossible to finish a drink.
If you can't imagine what the original straw looked like, it was white with the iconic yellow and red stripes running vertically. It was noticeably thicker and wider than most standard straws, which is one reason why these may have been so favored. With a larger opening, more soda — and more specifically, the sugar and carbonation — would hit the tongue at once, maximizing the sipping experience, according to the McDonald's website. A straw can change our perception of a soda, making a Coca-Cola or Sprite at McDonald's seem more crisp.
Why did McDonald's change its straws?
Sustainability may be one possible reason for the switch — but that doesn't seem likely, as the new straws are also made from plastic. They do seem thinner than the original straws, so it's possible that a certain percentage of plastic is being saved. However, if the straws are breaking so much that a second one is needed, this defeats the whole purpose of reducing plastic.
Some McDonald's locations outside of the United States have made the switch to paper straws, so if sustainability was the leading reason for the change, why not use those instead? Although this is indeed a more environmentally friendly option — paper straws break down much quicker than plastic straws — paper straws have also received their fair share of backlash. The biggest complaints are that they seem to disintegrate before the drink is finished and have a gross texture.
It could also be that the straw swap is motivated by money. Many restaurants, including McDonald's, have been facing a tough year with lower sales. Cutting down on the cost of materials is one way to offset a drop in sales. As many on social media have said, the new straws feel cheaper and less sturdy than the old ones. If you can't stand sustainable paper straws or cheap plastic straws for your soft drink, it might be time to invest in a set of reusable glass straws or sturdy plastic straws for a few dollars.