KFC to be the first fast food chain in Singapore to ditch plastic caps and straws

There's been a ramping up of anti-plastic waste measures by huge companies recently.

For example, furniture megachain IKEA announced at the start of June that it was working to "stop selling single-use plastic products such as straws, cups and freezer bags by Jan 1, 2020".

Locally, food delivery service Deliveroo also announced that plastic cutleries are now on an 'opt-in' basis - meaning that by default, your orders won't come with any plastic cutlery.

Today, fast food giant KFC Singapore announced that it is also hopping onto the bandwagon - but for a great reason.

In a bid to reduce single-use plastics, all 84 KFC restaurants in Singapore would no longer be serving drinks with plastic caps and straws from Wed, 20 Jun 2018.

This move is part of their No Straws Initiative.

Said Lynette Lee, General Manager of Kentucky Fried Chicken Management Pte Ltd., "We acknowledge the strain that single-use plastics put on our environment and are taking steps to do our part in endeavouring a change."

We recognise that every little bit counts and are proud to be the first fast food restaurant in Singapore to champion this movement, one straw at a time.

It has been estimated that this move will "see a reduction of a whopping 17.8 metric tons of single-use plastics in a year".

The press release also stated that KFC Singapore "will continue to review and roll out the use of more biodegradable packaging for their offerings as part of their ongoing eco-conscious efforts".

Plastic covers will still be provided for their takeaway drinks.

This article was first published in Vulcan Post