McDonald’s Canada is celebrating its transition to paper straws in late 2021 by teaming up Kelowna’s The Rogerie and a cross-country group of Canadian and Indigenous artists to turn a portion of its remaining plastic straws into trays made with upcycled McDonald’s plastic straws to be used as a canvas to display their original artwork.
Overall, 15 artists participated in the program and have created custom designs that reflect the artists’ diverse perspectives on sustainability and the environment.
In late 2021, McDonald’s Canada transitioned to using paper straws from plastic straws, alongside the removal of other single-use plastics, namely plastic cutlery and stir sticks, as part of the company’s ongoing initiative to meet the brand’s global packaging commitment.
To mark the transition, McDonald’s Canada sought to give a new life to a portion of its remaining plastic straws by teaming up with the Rogerie, a Canadian company specializing in making everyday products from post-consumer plastics. McDonald’s worked closely with the company to transform plastic straws into a limited number of trays which have become a canvas for displaying art from Canadian and Indigenous artists.
Participating artists include:
- West: Nicole Wolf, Ray Dak Lam, Jarett Sitter, Tierney Milne, Justin Currie, Chris Morin, Monika Melnychuk
- Ontario: Rachel Joanis, Mateusz Napieralski, Ryan Pooman
- Quebec: Genevieve Andersen, Anne-Julie Dudemaine
- East: Kirsten Stackhouse, Bella Seonyoung Heo, Elana Camille
As a result of the effort, the individually designed, limited edition trays will be donated to local Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Houses across Canada. Houses may keep the tray on display for the families to enjoy, or they may choose to auction off the tray for fundraising purposes.
You can learn more about the artists, the inspiration to their specially designed artwork, and the making of the Last Straw trays here.
Image via McDonald’s
