Fast food giant McDonald’s has announced that it aims to drastically reduce packaging waste by making 100% of its packaging from sustainable sources by 2025.
McDonald’s restaurants will also be encouraged to recycle 100% of packaging waste, as currently only 10% of restaurants worldwide do so.
To implement the scheme, the company will work with environmental associations, local governments and industry experts to create the packaging, implement new recycling programmes and educate staff on the new procedures.
The news follows the announcement from British supermarket chain Iceland that it will eliminate plastic packaging from its entire range of own-brand products.
Francesca DeBiase, McDonald’s chief supply chain and sustainability officer said: “As the world’s largest restaurant company, we have a responsibility to use our scale for good to make changes that will have a meaningful impact across the globe.
“Our customers have told us that packaging waste is the top environmental issue they would like us to address.
Our ambition is to make changes our customers want and to use less packaging, sourced responsibly and designed to be taken care of after use, working at and beyond our restaurants to increase recycling and help create cleaner communities.”
McDonald’s partnered with Environmental Defense Fund in 1990 in its first sustainable packaging drive, which reduced packaging wastage by over 300 million lbs, and the brand claims in the next decade packaging wastage was reduced by around 30%.
Tom Murray, vice-president of EDF+Business added: “Nearly three decades ago, McDonald’s and EDF teamed up to tackle solid waste and accelerate innovation in packaging.
“Along the way, we pioneered a new partnership model for companies and nonprofit organizations.
Today, McDonald’s continues to raise the sustainability bar by setting ambitious goals and collaborating with partners across the value chain for maximum impact.”
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