McDonald's Phasing Out Iconic McFlurry Spoons for More Sustainable Alternatives

McDonald's plans to replace the notoriously confusing McFlurry spoons with smaller sundae spoons and reusable spindles; part of a broader sustainability initiative aimed at reducing carbon emissions and single-use plastic waste.

McDonald’s is replacing its iconic and often misunderstood McFlurry spoons with smaller sundae spoons in an effort to cut down on excessive single-use plastic from the bulky original spindles.
Over time, McDonald’s will transition its U.S. outlets to using reusable spindles that can be swapped out, cleaned after each use, and reused to mix McFlurries before serving them to customers.
McDonald’s sustainability initiative comes in response to the company’s wasteful reputation, having generated over 57 million tons of carbon emissions in 2021, more than the total carbon emissions of Norway.
The phase-out of McFlurry spoons, first introduced in 1995, is one of several changes McDonald’s has made since announcing in 2021 its plans to reduce its global greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. Other steps include swapping out plastic toys in Happy Meals for 3D paper products and using recycled packaging for some products.
Still on McDonald’s agenda for sustainability is the elimination of self-serve soda machines by 2032 and experimentation with strawless lids in certain U.S. cities.