In a media statement released on June 20, KFC announced that it plans to eliminate plastic straws from all its stores.

“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 as KFC 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,” says Thabisa Mkhwanazi, KFC Africa’s Public Affairs Director.

 

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A post shared by KFC South Africa (@kfcsouthafrica) on Jun 19, 2019 at 12:31pm PDT

As part of its ongoing efforts to adopt more sustainable practices, the popular chicken fast food chain has already removed disposable plastic beverage cups from its KFC head office.

At a time when the climate crisis is reflecting alarming statistics, this is an admirable step in the right direction when it comes to sustainability in restaurants.

Want to know more about what restaurants are doing to help the environment? Read about the 2018 winner of the Eat Out Woolworths Sustainability Award. (Interested restaurants can find out more.)