McDonald’s Japan to stop using paper straws from November 19th 2025

From Kyodo

October 27 2025

TOKYO – McDonald’s Co. (Japan) said Monday that it will stop using paper straws at around 3,000 stores nationwide, in response to customer dissatisfaction with the drinking experience.

The fast-food chain said it will begin introducing a new lid design that eliminates the need for straws, starting Nov. 19, replacing the paper straws introduced in 2022.

The new lids will be made from recycled plastic bottles, with environmental impact taken into consideration. They are designed to make drinking easier and to prevent spills when carried around, it said.

Following Starbucks Coffee Japan Ltd.’s move earlier this year to switch from paper straws to plant-based bioplastic ones, the fast-food chain will also change the plastic bags used for takeout orders. The new bags will be made from material consisting of 95 percent plant-derived bioplastic.

They had already been introduced at a store in Nagasaki in May and will be implemented nationwide next month.