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Updated May 24, 2018 3:25 PM EDT
Shareholders at McDonald's annual meeting today rejected a proposal to ban plastic straws in the 37,000 stores of the fast-food giant serving 68 million of customers every day, a proposal that environmental activists had discussed could help save lives threatened by a global explosion of plastic pollution.
Viral videos – including one that shows researchers pulling a plastic straw from the bleeding hole of a sea turtle – is prompting some companies to find more ocean-friendly alternatives, but McDonald's is not on board, least not in the US UU
We are pleased to announce that as of May we will be testing paper straws in restaurants and we will move our recyclable plastic straws behind the counter https://t.co/VniO8pwr9t
– McDonald's UK News (@McDonaldsUKNews ) March 28, 2018
McDonald's in March said it would eliminate plastic straws in the United Kingdom, but on Thursday it maintained its position to resist efforts to do the same in the United States.
The company's shareholders at Thursday's annual meeting followed a recommendation from McDonald's board of directors to firmly defeat a proposal to get rid of the ubiquitous drinking utensil served with soft drinks, coffees and shakes. The board had argued that the proposal would compel McDonald's to redirect resources from other environmental efforts, such as its vote in January to get its packaging from renewable or recycled sources by 2025.
Elaine Leung, marine biologist, spoke at favor of the defeated proposal, noting that McDonald's uses 95 million straws every day and mentions the non-degradable pollution that has "even remote places covered in plastic trash."
"All marine mammals, including whales, eat sorbets," leading to a higher recount of dead animals crawling around the world's shores, he said, speaking on behalf of the corporate activism group SumOfUs, which has He picked up almost half a million names in a petition asking McDonald's to stop using plastic straws.
Alaska Airlines On Monday, travelers on their flights will be served drinks with compostable versions of straws and citrus fruits: white birch for coffee and bamboo for citrus sticks. The Seattle-based airline, which said it delivered 22 million straws and citrus fruits last year, also said it would have non-plastic plastic straws suitable for travelers who request them.
And on Wednesday in New York The City Council presented a bill to prohibit the use of plastic straws in the city, reports CBS New York. Restaurants could offer reusable aluminum straws instead, or straws made of paper, corn or even pasta.
"It's important for New Yorkers to understand that plastic straw is not a necessity, it's more of a luxury, and our luxury is causing great damage to other environments," said Councilman Rafael Espinal, the project's main sponsor. of law, according to The New York Times.
Espinal told CBS New York that many restaurants have already registered and only use biodegradable straws or have a straw-only policy on demand. His proposed ban, which also targets plastic coffee agitators, will not issue any city tax for offenders during the first two years. After that, a first-time violation would mean a $ 100 fine.
Plastic straws were not the only controversial issue that surrounded McDonald's this week. The Chicago-based company faces lawsuits for badual harbadment and protests for the payment of workers . During a question and answer session at Thursday's annual meeting on a variety of issues, CEO Steve Easterbrook politely diverted shareholder concerns about the treatment of his workers, saying that the corporation's policies make it clear that "no there is room for no harbadment or discrimination. " of any type. "
McDonald's is confident, he added, that independent franchisees who operate 90 percent of their restaurants" also have like-minded ideas. "
Other shareholder proposals rejected at the meeting of the Thursdays include a call for McDonald's to issue a report on charitable donations. Board-supported proposals were accepted that included the election of directors, the payment of executives and the selection of the company auditor.
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