An insight on the plastic straw campaign of McDonald’s

McDonald’s shareholders rejected a proposal asking the company to report the use of plastic straws. This is the last part of a campaign to pressure the company to ban the items.

The idea, which was endorsed by activist group SumOfUs, received less than 8% of the vote at the company’s annual meeting.

McDonald’s recommended against the measure that it be “unnecessary” and “unnecessary”.

SumOfus said the vote “was not surprising.”

SumOfUs worked at McDonald’s to discontinue the use of plastic straws due to their wildlife and environmental impacts. An online petition on the subject drew nearly 500,000 signatures.

The proposal, which was filed by a small shareholder and published in an SEC file in April, argued that McDonald’s could be subjected to a brutal consumer response for environmental reasons. He said the company has a golden opportunity to amplify the strength of its brand and demonstrate its leadership in removing plastic straws.

He asked the company to report on efforts to find alternatives to plastic straws and to assess the commercial risks associated with their continued use.

Sondhya Gupta, the lead activist for SumOfUs, said she has seen McDonald’s take steps to address the problem since the campaign began.

We firmly hope that McDonald’s continues to take this problem seriously and we look forward to providing a timeline for the introduction of these important reforms, ​​he said.

Going Back

Consumers are increasingly concerned about the effects of plastic pollution, which is partly supported by television shows like the BBC’s Blue Planet II.

Efforts against particular plastic straws appear to be accelerating.

British politicians have discussed the idea of ​​a ban, as more and more cities in the United States, including New York, adopt it.

Companies also act alone. For example, Hilton agreed on Wednesday to remove plastic straws from the 650 hotels it directly manages worldwide. McDonald’s announced to shareholders that its goal was “to obtain all McDonald’s guest packaging (including straws) from renewable, recycled or certified sources by 2025.”