McDonalds to ditch 500 tons of plastic waste

UKVending is always striving to reduce or even eliminate any unnecessary plastic waste in our products and services, so it is pleasing to see that some of the world’s leading fast food restaurants have finally sat up and listened and started to put new procedures in place.

Take for example McDonalds. The fast food giant is replacing plastic salad boxes with cardboard replacements, whilst plastic lids for their McFlurry treats will go in favour of a rigid paper based design from September. Just in the UK alone, these two measures will cut plastic waste by 485 tons every single year.

The paper replacements are made from a product called ‘carton board’, which contains 50 percent recycled content and 50 percent new material from certified sustainable sources. McDonald’s aim to make all its packaging from renewable or recycled sources by 2025.

McDonald’s is not alone in trying to be more environmentally conscious with Aldi extending their trial of removing plastic from five fresh produce lines from Scotland into England. Waitrose, meanwhile, will save 14 tons of plastic a year with compostable punnets for Duchy Organic soft fruit.