McDonald's U.K. is the latest British fast food chain to scrap plastic straws in their restaurants.

After chains like Pizza Express and JD Wetherspoon, the fast food giant has announced plans to start phasing out the use of plastic straws as part of a plan to reduce their use of plastic.

: "We're pleased to announce that from May we'll be trialling paper straws in restaurants and moving our recyclable plastic straws behind the counter."

That means that plastic straws -- for those who absolutely can't drink their soda without them -- will be available only upon request.

McDonald's U.K. is the latest business to take its own initiative in battling the use of excess plastic waste which is choking the planet's oceans and piling up in increasingly scarce landfill sites.

The move also pre-empts a government proposal in the U.K. that i calling for a widespread ban on plastic straws.

Most recently, Taiwan announced plans to ban single-use plastic drinking straws, plastic bags and disposable utensils by 2030.

It's estimated that consumers in the U.K. use and throw away 8.5 billion plastic straws a year.