Sustainability

Sustainability - McDonald's

Scale for Good

Using ourScale for Good
We believe that delicious food can also be sustainable – for our customers, producers and the environment. As one of the world’s leading restaurant brands, we’re using our Scale for Good to make this vision a reality. Our responsibility is our opportunity
Using our Scale for Good plays an important role in the Velocity Growth Plan, and is right at the heart of our values. In order for people to feel good about visiting us, they need to feel good about our food, our company and the impact that we have on the world.
The world is changing. The population is growing, cities are expanding and temperatures are rising, stretching basic resources like water and food to their limits. These are complex challenges that demand innovative solutions and collective action. As one of the world’s largest restaurant companies, we have the responsibility and opportunity to take action on some of the most pressing social and environmental challenges in the world today. We embrace this opportunity to drive meaningful progress, and to do so by collaborating with millions of customers, employees, Franchisees, suppliers and other partners.
These initiatives are most impactful when they go beyond the direct reach of our company to influence action both within our business network and beyond. We call this using our Scale for Good. We hope our efforts can drive real change, so they become tomorrow’s standard. It’s an ongoing effort, and we’re always looking to what’s next.

Packaging & Recycling

Why it matters
By 2025, the World Bank estimates a staggering 6 million tons of waste will be produced each day. What’s more, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and World Economic Forum predict that by 2050, oceans will contain more plastics than fish.
As the world’s largest restaurant company, we have the responsibility and opportunity to take action on some of the most pressing social and environmental challenges in the world. We know that our global supply chain can have a significant impact on the planet. And we’re constantly improving our sourcing, packaging and transportation processes to lessen that footprint. When you operate over 37,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries serving 69 million people each day, even small changes can make a big difference.
Our customers tell us that their number one environmental concern for us to address is the environmental impact of McDonald’s restaurant packaging and waste. We’re listening.

The latest steps in this ongoing journey are our 2025 goals to improve our packaging and reduce waste:
• By 2025, 100% of McDonald’s guest packaging will come from renewable,1 recycled2 or certified3 sources.
• By 2025, our goal is to recycle guest packaging in 100% of McDonald’s restaurants. We understand that recycling infrastructure, regulations and consumer behaviors vary from city to city and country to country, but we plan to be part of the solution and help influence powerful change.
Together with employees, Franchisees and suppliers, the Company is committing to use our Scale for Good to make changes our customers want and that will have a meaningful impact in the communities we serve. Our vision is nothing less than transformative.
Now, we’re rethinking our packaging by working with packaging specialists to reduce material volume where possible, and designing packaging to recapture the value of materials through recycling which minimize the costs and environmental impacts associated with its disposal.
As of 2019, 100% of McDonald’s fiber-based guest packaging comes from certified or recycled sources.

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