activists have targeted large companies such as McDonald's on the theory that such companies lead the industry through their decisions. If McDonald's could make the switch, other companies could, too. It was the public relations war that McDonald's was fighting, not necessarily an environmental one. The company was responding to the general perception that polystyrene is "bad" and paper is "good," a perception that may, in the long-term, be incorrect. Yet the company could not afford to be the target of a boycott, so it made the change.
It is not easy to determine which material, paper or foam, is better for the environment. McDonald's biggest problem is that it does not (and cannot, because of the nature of its business), offer utensils that can be reused, such as permanent cups. The packaging that McDonald's uses must of necessity be thrown away, even if it is to be recycled by the restaurants or the consumer later on.
Given this environment, the company should have embarked on its own study investigating the pros and cons of e
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