一詞：麥當勞啓用新的“環保”餐具，結果變得更不環保

acknowledge[ək'nɒlɪdʒ]  

McDonald's has reportedly admitted that its new paper straws, rolled out last year to help "protect the environment," can't be recycled — unlike the plastic versions they replaced.

麥當勞在報道中承認，他們去年推出的幫助“保護環境”的新紙吸管無法像被換下去的塑料吸管一樣回收。

The straws were introduced to all 1,361 McDonald's restaurants in the United Kingdom and Ireland after a trial last year.

去年進行試驗後，英國和愛爾蘭所有的1361家麥當勞都啓用紙吸管。

But the fast food giant acknowledged that the new versions are too thick to be processed by its recyclers.

但是這家食品巨頭承認，新版本太厚了，回收商無法進行處理。

"While the materials are recyclable, their current thickness makes it difficult for them to be processed by our waste solution providers, who also help us recycle our paper cups," a McDonald's spokesman told the UK's Press Association news agency.

“雖然材料是可以回收的，但是它們目前的厚度使得我們的垃圾處理商很難處理。垃圾處理商也幫我們回收紙杯。”麥當勞一位發言人告訴英國國家通訊社。

McDonald's UK and Ireland has not yet responded to CNN's requests for comment.

麥當勞英國及愛爾蘭目前還未迴應CNN的評論請求。

The issue was first revealed by The Sun newspaper, which published an internal McDonald's (MCD) memo saying that the company's paper straws "are not yet recyclable and should be disposed of in general waste until further notice."

《太陽報》首先透露了這次事件。該報發佈了一項麥當勞內部備忘錄，稱該公司的紙質吸管“目前還不可回收，在得到進一步通知前，應該跟普通垃圾一樣處理。”

When the firm announced the introduction of paper straws in June 2018, it said the move was "part of wider efforts to protect the environment."

這家公司在2018年6月宣佈推行使用紙吸管時，稱該舉動是“爲保護環境做出的更多努力的一部分”。

"The government's ambitious plans, combined with strong customer opinion, has helped to accelerate the move away from plastic and I'm proud that we've been able to play our part in helping to achieve this societal change," Paul Pomroy, CEO of McDonald's UK and Ireland, said in a press release at the time.

“政府野心勃勃的計劃，結合顧客的強烈意見，幫助加速遠離塑料製品的舉動。我很自豪，我們可以在幫助實現這種社會性改變上方面出一份力。”麥當勞英國及愛爾蘭的CEO保羅·波默羅伊在那時的一份新聞稿中說道。

The plastic straws previously used could be recycled, but the British government has moved to ban plastic straws by 2020 and encouraged chains to ditch the products.

之前使用的塑料吸管可以回收，但英國政府提議到2020年禁止使用塑料吸管，並鼓勵連鎖企業拋棄那種產品。

Then-Environment Secretary Michael Gove congratulated McDonald's on "making this significant contribution to help our natural environment" when the initial move was made last year.

去年麥當勞開始行動時，時任環境大臣邁克爾·戈夫慶祝麥當勞“爲保護我們的自然環境做出巨大貢獻”。

But the new straws were unpopular even before the latest revelation.

但是即使在最新的真相揭露之前，新版吸管就不受歡迎。

Numerous social media users complained that they became soggy in drinks, and a petition calling on the firm to bring back their old straws has been signed more than 50,000 times.

大量社交媒體用戶抱怨，吸管在飲料裏變得軟趴趴的，超過5萬人在要求麥當勞換回老版吸管的請願書上簽字。

今日詞彙

acknowledge[ək'nɒlɪdʒ]