Less Is More: Sustainable Packaging at McDonald's

[Kilo2Bravo]

its all ending up in the ground.

[sglight2]

Good ideas being implemented. Hope other companies would also follow and come-up with ideas to preserve the nature.

[anjonjp]

Whatever their motives may be - but the traditional packaging of fish & chips in used newspapers was banned on the grounds of 'hygiene'. Green or hygiene - will the politically correct please make up your minds. (I refer to the UK for those that may not follow the aforementioned.)

[michaelstokley1970]

love mcdonalds sorry if they some how piss you off just don shop there@

[thearchunholy]

Use less materials = lower cost

They care nothing about your and my environment.

Same with your go-green bags, it lowers their cost. YOU pay for something THEY should be.

[wantse094]

It's true. However I can also honestly tell you that less materials is not ALWAYS lower cost.

[nyerinmo]

Promoting McDonald's packaging in general as environmentally friendly is like promoting sustainable packaging in the disposal of toxic waste because the drums made with recycled plastic or metal! McDonalds must be one of the worlds largest, if not the largest, contributors of waste!

[chris8702]

well none of the other fast food giants are any better really, even reasonably modern fast foot outlets like subway are pretty irresponsible when it comes waste control.

governments need to act and pass stiff legislation against this kind of activity, i cant understand why it hasn't already been done.

i think that one of the problems is that the fundamental concept of fast food is based on the idea that the customer can take the food away from the restaurant.

[nednednerb]

Sustainable packaging? Work on sustainable consumption, at any rate, too. Know how much energy and space it takes to raise, ship, store, and cook cows for all of McDonalds' customers? Packaging is a good step, but there is a whole business to consider too! :) Keep it in mind.

[aweiss]

It is all sustainable. If you need more stuff grow more stuff.

[nednednerb]

Ummm... Toxins, pollutants, and other effects from both products, industry, and stress in a world of hyper-consumption is sustainable, if you hook yourself up to life support, live in a nuclear radiation-protected bunker, and say goodbye to most higher animal life forms on the surface of the Earth for several million years! Cows for cheap, nutrition-lite cardboard flavour instead of Amazonian rainforest!! Sustainable destruction, disorder, and delusion!

[nyerinmo]

Doesn't a clamshell create more waste than a wrap? What about the hot cups being foam? What about McDonald's use of SBS board? Why does McDonalds use so much packaging for dine in customers?

[chris8702]

you make a really good point, i think its one which is heavily concerned with brand aesthetics and rituals. but to tackle the problem of packaging properly they need to re-evaluate there food distribution strategies.

[nyerinmo]

More specific, it's really how to deliver food. At McDonald's, that is the main purpose of packaging, to deliver food to the consumer. For DINE IN, why not eliminate the clamshell and fry carton all together, and serve the sandwich and fries in another form of packaging that is either re-usable (such as a basked with paper) or at least uses less packaging (such as a paper plate or 100% post consumer bowl).

[chris8702]

i feel the problem is that consumers connect so heavily with the packaging, its become such an integral part of the whole dinning experience. it would be interesting to see testing done on consumer preference of packaged and non packaged mc donalds food.

[anjonjp]

How about traditional washable plates????

[SushiXTREME]

Nice job Jennifer! See you soon at the next SPC meeting.

SushiXTREME