KFC is flipping from plastic straws to paper straws to save the environment
The brand has already removed disposable plastic beverage cups from its head office.
Plastic straws will eventually be extinct, if you don’t save the KFC red straws now, your kids and grandkids might have to go to a museum to see them, as the brand is flipping from plastic straws to paper straws.
As part of its ongoing efforts to adopt more sustainable practices, the brand has already removed disposable plastic beverage cups from its head office.
KFC South Africa made a mark in history by officially announcing the removal of plastic straws in over 900 restaurants across South Africa, on June 19 at the Origins Centre, Wits University. This will help to eliminate 60 million plastic straws a year and the move forms part of a new global sustainability commitment from the business that all plastic-based packaging items will be recoverable or reusable by 2025.
It also supports the brand’s long-term plan to implement a more sustainable packaging strategy in its restaurants – by developing a roadmap for using sustainable packaging options –building on the progress of plastic straws.
“As a global brand that operates in 900 restaurants in South Africa, KFC can have a real impact on how the industry approaches single-use packaging. With environmental sustainability as a core aspect of how we do business, this commitment represents a public acknowledgement of the start of our journey to address these issues to have a positive effect on our environment.
In South Africa we have secured a local supplier for our paper straws, stimulating local business, and economies,” remarked Thabisa Mkhwanazi, KFC Africa’s Public Affairs Director.
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“The Origins Centre is excited to collaborate with KFC. The significance of Origins is sharing the evolution of mankind, and so it is fitting that they are here today to mark this evolution in their business, and we applaud their move. Off the back of World Ocean Day, this is a fitting announcement as we know plastics significantly impact our environment. We have been happy for the brand to erect an exhibition here at Origins that will be on display for 2 months to mark the final straw and raise awareness and educate on the use of plastics and its impact,” says Amanda Esterhuysen, Origins Museum Director.
Did you know?
Plastic was invented by a printer who was looking for something cheaper and easier to get your hands on than ivory to make snooker balls with.
During the more than 150 years since then, this material has become a part of just about every aspect of human existence. In fact, each year, the human race produces more than 35 billion kilograms of plastic pollution.
That’s the equivalent in weight of more than 105 000 fully loaded Boeing 747s and around a quarter of that winds up in our oceans.
Aside from the harm that plastic pollution does to our marine plants, it also drives climate change, with greenhouse gas emissions from the plastic life-cycle, a very real threat to our ability keep global temperatures down.
The idea of paper straws was already a topic among consumers as some restaurants have already introduced these types of straws and the general view is that paper straws aren’t a good idea as they eventually get wet, however paper straws have more benefiting advantages to our environment.
-Paper straws are biodegradable, even if you toss your plastic straws in the recycling bin, they’ll likely end up in landfills or the ocean, where they can take years to decompose while on the flip side, paper straws are fully biodegradable and compostable. If they do end up in the ocean, they’ll start to break down within just three days.
-Paper straws take less amount of time to decompose
-Switching to paper straws will reduce the use of plastic straws
-They’re (relatively) affordable
-Paper straws are safer for wildlife
Here in South Africa, the World Wide Fund for Nature estimates that we use from 30 to 50 kilograms of plastic, per person per year, but if each one of us cut our consumption by just a third, we could decrease the total amount of plastic pollution we produce as a country, by around 250 million kilograms a year.
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