The partnership will allow Wendy's to replace a selection of plastic-lined paper cups with limited recyclability to single-substrate clear plastic drink cups
Wendy's, Berry Global, and LyondellBasell have partnered to launch new clear drink cup. (Credit: manseok Kim from Pixabay)
US-based fast-food restaurant chain Wendy’s has collaborated with Berry Global and LyondellBasell to launch new sustainable clear drink cups.
The partnership will allow Wendy’s to replace a selection of plastic-lined paper cups with limited recyclability to single-substrate clear plastic drink cups.
The cups, which are based on a mass balance approach, will also feature 20% ISCC-certified recycled plastic that is available across all restaurants in North America.
Berry Global chairman and CEO Tom Salmon said: “Giving our natural resources multiple lives requires commitment and collaboration across the value chain. Partnering with leading brands that actively pursue opportunities to promote innovative packaging solutions is key to accelerating a circular economy.”
With the initial set of large cups using recycled plastic, the new sustainable cup will be launched in the US and Canadian restaurants in the early next year.
All drink cups will feature recycled plastic from 2023, stated the company.
The collaboration is said to align shared corporate plastics and packaging commitments, as well as improve recyclability and increase the use of recycled plastic.
The move is also expected to eliminate an estimated 10 million pounds of waste from landfills over the first two years.
Wendy’s chief corporate affairs and sustainability officer Liliana Esposito said: “Consumers are increasingly aware of the impact of single-use waste, and we want to do our part as a leader in the quick-service restaurant industry to provide more sustainable options.
“Today’s announcement marks Wendy’s next step toward creating packaging solutions that reduce our environmental impact.”
Earlier this year, Wendy’s unveiled plans to enhance customer-facing packaging to meet its sustainable packaging goal.
In 2019, Wendy’s joined as a supporting partner in the NextGen Consortium, convened by Closed Loop Partners, to boost and scale commercially viable, circular foodservice packaging solutions ranging from reuse systems to packaging recovery infrastructure.
Last month, Berry Global announced plans to invest more than $110m to expand its foodservice packaging manufacturing operations in North America.