McDonald’s Replaced Plastic Straws With Non-Recyclable Ones in the U.K. | Eater

"In 2018 the chain phased out roughly 1.8 million single-use plastic straws used daily across its 1,361 U.K. and Ireland restaurants in favor of paper straws intended to protect the environment. An internal memo later revealed that the replacement paper straws—made thicker after customers complained the originals became soggy and made milkshakes hard to drink—cannot actually be recycled because their thickness prevents processing by waste handlers, so they should be disposed of with general trash. The company says the situation is temporary and points out that restaurant waste is used to generate energy rather than left to decompose in landfills, and that paper straws will break down more quickly if littered compared with plastic ones." - Jenny G. Zhang