In an effort to reduce its plastic footprint, McDonald's will also trial the use of wooden and paper alternatives to replace the McFlurry plastic spoon
By 2025, 100% of McDonald’s guest packaging will come from renewable, recycled or certified sources (Credit: Pixabay)
McDonald’s has said it will remove plastic lids from its McFlurry ice creams as part of the company’s “Better M” platform’s Europe-wide customer trials.
The fast-food giant will roll-out a new fibre-based lid across all cold drinks in France, which will result in an estimated 1,200 tonnes of plastic being saved annually.
Fibre currently makes up 88% of McDonald’s packaging usage in Europe, with plastic accounting for 12%.
The firm’s “Better M” aims to implement environmentally positive changes across its sustainable packaging and recycling supply chain as well as the customer experience.
McDonald’s vice president of global sustainability Keith Kenny said: “We care about lessening our impact on the environment and know our customers do too.
“That’s why we’re finding new and innovative ways to reduce our use of packaging, switch to more sustainable materials and help our customers to reuse and recycle, too.
“The trials we are conducting across Europe are vital in helping us get first-hand feedback from customers on solutions that help them to be conscious consumers, without compromising on quality and the McDonald’s experience they love.
“‘Better M’ is a powerful platform to allow us to work with our customers and choose the right solutions to scale up across Europe.”
McDonald’s to trial Happy Meal toy take-back trial
As part of its bid to improve its plastic footprint, McDonald’s will also trial the use of plastic-free McFlurry spoons, with wooden and paper alternatives being tested to find the material that meets customer preferences, operational functionality, and sustainability.
Following consumer feedback, the company will also roll-out its improved paper straws across Europe, with the product becoming stronger while still being made from fully recyclable materials.
Alongside this, McDonald’s aims to make 100% of its primary fibre-based guest packaging from recycled certified sources across the continent by 2020.
In Germany, the company is currently piloting a programme called ReCup, where customers can ask for a reusable coffee cup and return it at a partnering McDonald’s restaurant, with consumers in Ukraine receiving ice cream Sundae’s in cups made from waffles.
Recycled paper masks are offered as part of the Happy Meal instead of balloons in the Netherlands, with Belgium also introducing this scheme.
Restaurants in the UK launched its new toy take-back trial this week, allowing customers to return their used Happy Meal toys at a select number of stores.
McDonald’s UK and Ireland’s sustainability manager Helen MacFarlane said: “It is really important we test this to ascertain what customers bring back to us and in turn what we are able to create with the old plastic toys.
“We want to ensure we’re creating genuinely useful products from the toys children have enjoyed and finished playing with.
“This test will enable us to work with our suppliers to create a range of new items, maximising the amount of plastic we can recycle and reducing the need for the creation of new virgin plastic.”
By 2025, 100% of McDonald’s guest packaging will be made from renewable, recycled or certified sources. It is also aiming to recycle all of its consumer packaging by the same year.