Tag Archives: McDonald’s

McDonald’s to cut plastic packaging

McDonald’s UK is to remove single-use plastics from its salads range and plastic lids from all McFlurry ice creams, in a drive to reduce plastic packaging.

All main meal and side salads will be served in 100% renewable and recyclable cardboard containers instead of single-use plastic.

Changing out the existing plastic bowl, shaker salad cups and lids will result in 102 metric tons of plastic being removed annually.

The fast-food giant is also ditching plastic lids from all McFlurry ice creams from September which it said will reduce plastic waste by 383 metric tonnes annually.

The new salad and meal containers are made from carton board which contains 50% recycled content and 50% new, which itself comes from certified sustainable sources.

The coating on the containers, designed to keep them rigid, is also 100% renewable.

In total, the new packaging across the McFlurry and salads range will reduce plastic waste by 485 metric tonnes annually, said McDonald’s.

Beth Hart, Supply Chain Director, McDonald’s UK & Ireland said: “Removing plastic lids from the McFlurry, and introducing new cardboard packaging for salads, will save nearly 500 metric tonnes of plastic a year. It’s the latest step in our sustainability journey.

“We are committed to listening to our customers and finding solutions with our suppliers that work for them, this is the latest example of that – but by no means the end. We continue to look for solutions for our cutlery and lids, for example, but this is great progress. For us, sustainability is about more than just packaging. We have to look at the whole journey – by 2030 we’re committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 36%.”

McDonald’s Unveils New Global Packaging

McDonald’s restaurants are unveiling new carry-out bags, fountain beverage cups and sandwich boxes this month.

McDonald’s

McDonald’s the fast-food giant said the new look is simple, fresh and consistent with the company’s vision to be a modern and progressive burger company.

Added to this is the more visible branding on the packs, with bigger type faces taking up more space on the bags and cups.

The new packaging will initially roll out in the US this month before expanding worldwide to over 36,000 restaurants throughout 2016.

The company has also committed to sourcing 100% of all fiber-based packaging from recycled or certified sources by 2020.

“We’re proud of the progress we’ve made and initiatives like this are important to our customers who care about the planet,” said Matt Biespiel, senior director of global marketing.

As part of the new packaging launch, two students from Miami International University of Art and Design were selected to create a couture collection using the new packaging.

A student duo created an assortment of ‘must-have accessories’ for McDonald’s, including the hat pictured below, by using 50 bags, 72 straws, 22 cups, eight sandwich boxes along with some ‘bling’, including rhinestones and pearls.

“McDonald’s is a fun and modern brand and this was a progressive way to turn our packaging into art and support a community where fashion is an expression,” said Biespiel. “Every day 69 million customers visit McDonald’s around the world and this new packaging will be a noticeable change. It was fun to join these ideas together and create playful pieces that connect our customers to the Brand.”

McDonald’s

Fast food giant McDonald’s commits to eliminating deforestation from its supply chain

Fast food giant McDonald’s

Fast food giant McDonald’s has announced a global commitment on deforestation encompassing the entire supply chain, including its fiber-based packaging.

The Company is to begin developing specific time-bound sourcing targets in 2015, and in line with its endorsement of the New York Declaration on Forests, the goal is to eliminate deforestation throughout the entire supply chain by 2030.

Fast food giant McDonald’s said it made this commitment because it understands that deforestation is a major challenge.

“As a global leading brand, we can use the strength of our purchasing power and supply chain influence to drive positive change,” read a statement.

“We intend to achieve this commitment for our priority products (beef, fiber-based packaging, coffee, palm oil and poultry) before 2030 given their link to deforestation and in the spirit of the New York Declaration on Forests.”

It is focusing on food, beverage and packaging supply chains because the production of agriculture commodities is one of the biggest drivers of global deforestation.

“The cultivation of palm oil and soy, cattle ranching and forest conversion to pulpwood plantations for production of paper are acknowledged as being major contributors to global tropical deforestation.”

For some time, the multinational’s website has stated that its goal is for 100% of its palm oil to be “verified as supporting sustainable production by 2020” – but critics have argued that its plans to meet that goal were inadequate.

Other multinationals such as Dunkin’ Donuts, KFC, and Pizza Hut have also made commitments to stop buying palm oil linked to deforestation.

Palm oil is used in numerous baked goods, packaged foods and personal care products, and is the world’s most popular vegetable oil because it’s cheap, naturally saturated, and free of trans fat.

But oil palm trees only grow in the tropics, where growers have been levelling forests for oil palm plantations, releasing massive amounts of carbon into the atmosphere.

The programme will affect more than 3,100 direct suppliers and extends to a complex network of indirect suppliers that source materials.

The fast food multinational did however say the commitment does not imply full traceability, but focuses on visibility to the raw material origin and knowing where and how its raw materials are sourced.