McDonald’s Australia unveils huge change to popular menu item

The fast-food giant has announced it has made a massive change to a cult menu item – giving Australians plenty of warning before it rolls out.

McDonald’s Australia has announced a huge change to one of its most popular menu items: the classic ice cream sundae.

The cult dessert is available in three flavours; hot fudge, caramel and strawberry throughout the year, and is a much-loved addition to a cheeky Macca’s visit.

However, the fast-food giant has begun warning Aussies about major change coming to the sweet treat on August 1 – with adverts popping up on social media revealing sundaes will look completely different by the end of the year.

“Did you know, since 2018 we’ve been working towards all customer packaging being made from renewable or reclaimed materials,” the ad reads.

McDonald's has announced a big change is coming to the classic ice cream sundae. Picture: Twitter

The new cups, which contain fibre-based materials, are part of the burger chain’s ambitious pledge to phase out single-use plastic from its restaurants across Australia by 2025.

McDonald’s has already phased out plastic straws and cutlery, saving as much as 585 tonnes of waste every year.

It also recently redesigned the McFlurry cups to remove the plastic lids entirely as well as switching its salad bowls and shake cups to “innovative, fibre-based” alternatives which prevent even more waste ending up in landfill.

It’s hoped the introduction of new fibre-based sundae cups will remove another 178 metric tonnes of plastic from circulation per year, a McDonald’s Australia spokesperson told news.com.au.

The new sundae containers, which are no longer clear, are made from at least 81 per cent fibre-based materials – however they do contain a small amount of plastic which McDonald’s said was to “ensure food safety and quality”.

“We are committed to continuing to reduce the amount of plastic across our business and have a positive impact on the communities and people we serve,” the fast-food favourite added.

From August 1, the dessert item will be served in new packaging made from at least 81 per cent ‘fibre-based’ materials. Picture: Supplied

The new cups will no longer be clear. Picture: Twitter

Fibre-based alternatives to single-use plastics can be made from different materials.

These include recycled content such as newspaper and cardboard or natural fibres such as wood pulp, bamboo, bagasse, and wheat straw.

The fibres can be extracted at recycling centres and reprocessed to be used in new products, however the cycle is not endless as they lose their “paper-making qualities” over time.