(NEXSTAR) — You can get burgers and fries at dozens of fast-food chains. But you can only get that silly little McFlurry spoon at McDonald’s.
Until now, at least.
McDonald’s has announced plans to do away with its signature McFlurry spoons — the ones with the hollowed-out handles — starting this month. The change is part of a push to reduce plastic waste at U.S. restaurants, McDonald’s said.
“It’s hard to think of a utensil that’s been the focus of more intense debate over the years,” McDonald’s acknowledged in an online post earlier this week. “Why is the handle hollow? Is it a spoon, a straw, or both?”
The chain went on to explain what “true McFlurry fans” probably already know about the spoons: They were originally designed with hollow handles so that they could double as blending tools, or spindles, that could be attached to the McDonald’s ice-cream mixing machines.
But starting this month, the restaurants will transition to reusable spindles that will be “swapped out and cleaned after each McFlurry is made.” Guests will then be provided with smaller, more traditional sundae spoons which utilize less plastic, McDonald’s said.
“This small change will help reduce single-use plastic waste in restaurants — while giving customers the same delicious McFlurry they know and love. That’s a win-win in our book,” McDonald’s wrote, describing the move as a “sustainable makeover.”
McDonald’s fans on Reddit appeared at largely unbothered by the news, though some questioned whether the McFlurries at their local restaurants would still be prepared to their liking. Several users who claimed to be McDonald’s employees attested that, yes, the McFlurry itself should remain unchanged — if the reusable spindles are being used as they should be.
“We already have them at my store and literally nobody even uses them lmao,” one alleged worker claimed. “[They’re] sitting in a bag next to the McFlurry machine.”