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McDonald's, Starbucks and other retail outlets take plastic straws and stirrers off shelves ahead of ban

Michael Gove, the Environment secretary - Getty Images Europe
Michael Gove, the Environment secretary - Getty Images Europe

High street coffee chains and restaurants are rushing to take plastic straws and stirrers off their shelves ahead of a ban which could come in by the end of this year.

Starbucks, with 951 coffee houses in the UK, has removed all straws and plastic cutlery from their stores to force customers to request them.

McDonald’s, the burger chain with 1,270 outlets in the UK, will trial paper straws in some of its restaurants from next month.

Michael Gove, the Environment secretary, said a ban – which would only be in force in England - could be in place by the end of this year, rather than next year as had been thought.

He welcomed companies banning straws before the Government acted.

He said: “Hopefully we'll have a ban in place by the end of the year. One of the things lots of people in the hospitality industry are already doing are banning.

“Once you announce a ban like this it is often the case that industry moves ahead of you.

“We have already had fantastic restaurant chains like Leon say that's it, we're banning plastic straws. I suspect more will follow.”

McDonald’s customers will in future have to request straws from behind the counter, rather than pick up as many as they want with the napkins.

A McDonald’s spokesman said: “Together with our customers we can do our bit for the environment and use fewer straws.” 

A Starbuck’s spokesman said: “Starbucks is committed to minimising its impact on the environment and reducing waste.

“Whilst we look at alternative solutions to plastic straws, we have removed straws and plastic cutlery from all UK stores condiment bars so our customers have to ask for them specifically."

Other companies which have made pledges on straws included Waitrose, Wetherspoons, Itsu, Leon, Costa Coffee, Pizza Express, Nando’s and Café Nero.

Nisbets, a catering supply company, also said it was swapping plastic coffee stirrers for wooden implements.

Richard Cromwell, Nisbets’ commercial director, said: “By delisting plastic coffee stirrers and replacing with FSC beech wooden stirrers we are able to contribute to the #StirCrazy Campaign immediately.”

A Costa Coffee spokesman said its branches now only served straws on request and would “launch a non-plastic alternative straw this year as part of an on-going review into all our packaging and takeaway cups”.