McDonald’s is advancing its efforts to reduce waste and transition to sustainable packaging and toy materials. These initiatives are aimed at supporting environmental protection and long-term business resilience. Key strategies include redesigning packaging, exploring alternative materials, and enhancing recovery opportunities.
Recent Achievements
By late 2023, McDonald’s had achieved approximately 86.7% of its goal to source all primary guest packaging from renewable, recycled, or certified materials. Additionally, from 2018 to 2023, the company reduced the use of virgin fossil fuel-based plastics in Happy Meal toys by 63.7%. In 2023, over 88.3% of restaurants in regions with advanced infrastructure offered recycling or composting options for packaging.
Future Goals
McDonald’s aims to meet four primary objectives by the end of 2025. These include achieving 100% use of renewable, recycled, or certified materials for primary packaging and continuing to reduce virgin fossil fuel-based plastics. The strategy emphasizes a circular economy approach, focusing on improving recycling rates and reducing waste.
Actions and Collaborations
McDonald’s is enhancing recycling infrastructure in its restaurants, collaborating with waste management firms and suppliers, and improving packaging design for recyclability. The company is also working to increase demand for recycled materials by sourcing more recycled content for various packaging items.
Notable collaborations include McDonald’s membership in ReSource: Plastic and the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance, which support plastic waste reduction and bio-based plastic advancements. The company engages with industry organizations and policymakers to address recycling challenges and advance a circular economy.
Material Sourcing and Waste Management
McDonald’s aims to transition away from virgin fossil fuels and reduce the use of non-recyclable plastics. It is exploring alternatives such as molded fiber and starch-based materials. By 2025, the company plans to ensure that all primary guest packaging is free from added fluorinated compounds.
In terms of waste management, McDonald’s is working to improve recycling infrastructure in markets with advanced systems and advocating for better recycling solutions in less developed areas. The company also focuses on reducing packaging waste by offering items like straws and cutlery only upon request.
Overall, McDonald’s is committed to advancing a circular economy and reducing both packaging and food waste through its strategic initiatives and collaborations.