On June 30, McDonald s China announced that starting from today, nearly a thousand restaurants in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen will take the lead in discontinuing plastic straws and at the same time fine-tune the design of the lid.
McDonald s China stated that relevant plastic reduction measures will cover mainland China in 2020. It is understood that there are currently more than 3,500 McDonald s restaurants in mainland China, and the annual average use of plastic straws is about 400 tons.
Zhang Fan, Vice President of McDonald s (China): At present, about 80% of all McDonald s China s packaging has been paper-based, and only 20% of plastics are used.
Starbucks, the world s largest coffee chain company, announced in 2018 that it will stop using plastic straws globally this year. Previously, Starbucks average annual use of plastic straws in China was about 200 tons.
Zhu Lei, Vice President of Starbucks China: At the end of last year, all of its more than 4,000 stores in China have already banned plastic straws.
The reporter found that on the takeaway platform, many catering stores have added the options of "not using plastic straws" and "replace plastic straws with paper straws" to encourage consumers to reduce the use of plastic straws.
Huo Wei, Senior Director of Public Relations, Hey Tea Media: All take-outs in Beijing have delivered paper straws by default, and will be implemented in other cities across the country in the future. As of June this year, we have reduced the use of plastic straws nationwide by more than 11 million.
Data show that the cumulative output of plastic products nationwide in 2019 is 81.84 million tons, of which nearly 30,000 tons of plastic straws, or about 46 billion, are used per capita over 30. Experts in the industry say that plastic straws last only a few minutes, but they are degradable. The time may be as long as 500 years.
Professor Liu Jianguo, School of Environment, Tsinghua University: It is very difficult to recycle plastic straws. We start with plastic straws. It is relatively easy to implement the prohibition. It sends a very clear signal to consumers and residents that we need to reduce the need for plastic Dependence on products, which helps to promote the formation of green life and green consumption.
Paper straws instead of plastic straws
Cost and user experience are problems to be solved
Starting from September 1 this year, my country will implement the "Law of the People s Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Wastes." Those who fail to comply with the state s regulations on prohibiting and restricting the use of non-degradable plastic bags and other disposable plastic products will be fined 10,000 to 100,000 Yuan fine. Driven by policy mandates and leading companies, more and more companies have joined the action of restricting plastics. How do consumers feel?
In the interview, most consumers expressed their understanding and support for banning plastic straws, but some consumers still expressed some inconvenience after stopping. Taking into account consumption habits, especially for milk tea shops and beverage shops that rely heavily on the use of straws, finding products that can replace plastic straws and guiding consumers to use them has become a top priority.
For companies, how to control costs while improving customer experience has become an urgent problem to be solved. It is understood that the average cost of a plastic straw is about 0.03 yuan, and the cost of a paper straw is about 0.1 yuan, a difference of more than three times. Paper straws are not only more expensive, but also the use experience needs to be optimized.
However, some industry insiders and experts also said that with the breakthrough and innovation of new materials and new technologies, the environmentally friendly replacement of plastic straws is not difficult.
Professor Liu Jianguo, School of Environment, Tsinghua University: It can be replaced by biodegradable bioplastics, paper or bamboo, including wheat, some plant stalks, or glass, metal and other recyclable products. , According to each consumption scene, choose alternative products.
Degradable straws are costly and difficult to produce
Most small businesses are still on the sidelines
We see that some beverage manufacturers are also thinking of ways to protect the environment. What is the current situation of plastic straw companies? How did they respond to the "plastic restriction order"?
The world s leading straw manufacturer, like most of its peers, the company has been producing traditional plastic straws for a long time after its establishment in 1994. Small profits but quick turnover is a strategy adopted by almost all straw manufacturing companies. To make a profit, you must lower prices and increase shipments. This model is difficult for companies to grow. In 2005, they developed and produced polylactic acid biodegradable straws.
Nowadays, biodegradable straws have accounted for more than 60% of the company s business. The materials include polylactic acid, paper, stainless steel, etc. The person in charge told reporters that the cost of ordinary straws is about 1 cent, paper and polylactic acid straws are generally 3 to 4 cents, and reusable straws such as stainless steel and glass are more expensive, at 2 to 4 cents. Not waiting. In addition to the high cost, the shelf life of polylactic acid products usually does not exceed 12 months, and the product will degrade once stored for too long. Therefore, manufacturers must sell early to avoid long-term inventory backlogs.
For this reason, many companies often choose paper straws when transforming. A company located in Anji was established as a joint venture between a paper-making company and a straw company. The reporter learned that the production process of its paper straws is not simple.
Take the tube roll as an example, each paper straw needs to be rolled with three layers of paper. Because each customer s needs are different, the specifications of the paper are also different, and the machine needs to be adjusted for each production. Even if the production can be successfully completed, drying is a headache for many inexperienced companies. It is because of the constraints of capital cost and technology that many small and medium-sized enterprises have not rashly transformed.
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