McDonald’s shareholders Thursday turned aside a proposal to take the first step toward a ban on plastic straws.

A shareholder proposal backed by a consumer group received only 7.65% of the vote at the company’s annual meeting. The measure would have required McDonald’s to prepare a report to shareholders about the business risks of using plastic straws.

The rejection was not unexpected given that McDonald’s management had recommended against it. In doing so, it cited a series of major steps it is taking to cut waste and boost the company’s sustainability image.

The fast-food chain distributes an estimated 95 million single-use straws around the world every day, according to the consumer advocacy group SumOfUs.

“The problem with plastic is that it never disappears. It breaks into smaller and smaller pieces,” marine biologist and SumOfUs member Elaine Leung said at the meeting. “Although many of you may see plastic straws as a harmless little item, they soon add up and their size means they pose a particular hazard.”