Mum’s ‘panic’ for son as McDonald’s axes plastic cutlery

Alex Finnigan uses plastic McFlurry spoons to ‘reduce his anxiety’ (Image: Submitted)A mum has told how she is “desperately worried” for her son after McDonald’s confirmed it is axing plastic cutlery.Alex Finnigan, who has autism and has been nonverbal since birth, has used the plastic McFlurry spoons from McDonald’s for more than ten years to “reduce his anxiety”.However, on Tuesday the fast food giant announced it would be discontinuing the plastic spoons and replacing them with wooden ones, reports The Liverpool Echo.When the news broke Alex’s mum, Tricia said she went into a state of “panic” as Alex has been known to become violent when she can’t get hold of them.Tricia said “she does not know” what she will do, with only three months worth of spoons stockpiled time is running out.She said: “He carries them with him all the time, he takes them to bed, to the toilet and wherever he goes he constantly has them in his hands. When we can’t get them he has meltdowns.”He can’t get no for an answer, he will grab hold of us and forces us out of the door. He is usually extremely placid but he can become violent. He has hit his head a few times and taken the door off its hinges in a desperate attempt to try and get the spoons.”Tricia, from Maghull, Merseyside, said that in the past the spoons have been supplied by friends and family who will “pick them up” for her.She has also been buying them from a McDonald’s in the area at £12 a box.Tricia, 60, said: “When we found out it was sheer panic and frantic desperation I don’t know how we will manage his behaviour. Even the restaurants can’t get hold of them as they have been discontinued, they are the only thing he is interested in.”I am desperately worried because if he turns violent family members are going to get hurt, he is six foot and over 20 stone. As he is non-verbal he will not accept that we can’t get them.”Nina Prichard, head of sustainable and ethical sourcing at McDonald’s, said: “As a business, we’re committed to taking action on packaging and waste and increasing our use of sustainable materials.”We’re pleased to announce another step forward in eliminating single-use plastics and it’s great to be switching our famous McFlurry spoons to this new paper-based material.”