The year is 2015. Millennials and elders, alike, are sipping their Starbucks and soft drinks from a straw, soaking in the hot summer day. Vibes are good and the feeling of a crisp cold drink dancing on your tongue after being funneled to you via a slightly chewed plastic straw is unmatched.
And then, BOOM.
Marine biologist Christine Figgener posts a viral video of her team removing a plastic straw from a sea turtle’s nose, and the world of drink consumption was forever changed.
While many used this platform as the time to coin the meme “Save the Turtles,” many corporations actually took it very seriously.
Quickly, environmental movements toward canceling plastic straws took the world by storm and by 2018, companies were trying to wean straws out of their stock entirely. According to Duke University, corporations such as Bon Appétit Management, Starbucks, and Disney announced their plan to phase out their plastic straws.
Yet Tiktoker Brandon (@lorddutcher) was caught off guard after pulling through his local McDonald’s for a pick-me-up snack, and instead received his underwhelming strawless drink. Posted on Feb. 24, the TikTok has already received over 29,600 views and 1,687 likes with comments flooding in, demanding that the plastic straw make a comeback.
“I don’t know what establishments need to hear this,” the content creator begins.
Holding a McDonald’s hash brown, Brandon sits in his driver’s seat, picks up his freshly earned fountain drink, and looks directly at the camera.
“If I get a drinky drink from you, give me a [expletive] straw,” Brandon says. “I shouldn’t have to ask for one.”
Claiming that drinks don’t taste as nice when they are without a straw, Brandon calls out other companies that have replaced their plastic straws with new lids. For example Starbucks and its Nitro Lid, an innovation placed in hopes of removing plastic straws from more than 30,000 stores by 2020. While it is still possible to ask for a straw, it is no longer customary to provide them automatically.
“Starbucks makes you BEG for a straw these days,” a commenter said in response to Brandon’s tirade.
With Starbucks being the first to take the lead on this ecological advocacy in 2018, according to Business Insider, McDonald’s also pledged to take steps toward promoting eco-friendliness in its restaurants. The fast-food chain announced that it hopes to recycle its food and beverage packaging in 100% of its facilities by the end of 2025.
And of course, finding an alternative straw option was a part of this push.
McDonald’s claims that its efforts have been successful with the introduction of strawless lids in many countries outside of the U.S. Just through early trials, the fast food giant expects to reduce more than 400 metric tons of plastic waste each year.
But Brandon did not receive this message when he unknowingly picked up his strawless drink then. So, aggressively tapping on the lid of his drink he made one final statement.
“I don’t care that you invented this little sippy cup,” Brandon exclaims. “This doesn’t slap unless it comes from a straw, OK? OK.”
Unknowing that McDonald’s is taking strides toward environmental activism, it’s understandable why Brandon, and consumers like Brandon, may be upset with this sudden transition.
@lorddutcher #onthisday ♬ original sound – Your Girl's Best Friend
Understanding that this revolution may be hard for some consumers to wrap their heads around, not all environmentally conscious companies have made the 180-flip from plastic straws to sipping-lids. Many have tried to incorporate paper straws into their inventory, hoping these will mimic plastic straws as closely as possible. But like many of the commenters on Brandon’s post, straw-loving patrons were not happy with them either.
“None of that Paper BS,” one commenter said.
And while many claim that paper straws are better, a recent report conducted by the Daily Dot, says otherwise. Dr. Josh Redd (@drjoshredd) claims that the toxins within the glue of the paper staws are actually “extremely toxic,” and it’s better to just go strawless entirely.
The topic of plastic straws will always be a hot debate. Every person has their own personal preference on how they consume their drinks. But, it is encouraging to know that large corporations are working together to slow down plastic waste. So, hopefully, one day there will be less videos like Christine Figgener’s.
The Daily Dot reached out to @lorddutcher via TikTok direct message and McDonald’s via press email.