McDonald’s switches to eco-friendly spoons made of birch instead of plastic
The McDonald’s fast food chain in Ukraine has launched several environmental initiatives. In particular, in March, the company began to abandon plastic tableware and is gradually replacing it with wood products, the company’s press service said.
McDonald’s has chosen birch as an eco-friendly raw material. It is a durable material that does not have a pronounced wood flavor, which is very important for preserving the original taste of food. The implementation of this initiative will reduce the use of plastic by 40 tons annually, the company said.
In addition, since March, McDonald’s in Ukraine has partially abandoned the use of plastic cup lids. This will reduce the use of plastic by another 8.5 tons per year.
The initiative has already been successfully tested in Lviv restaurants and is now being rolled out to all Ukrainian McDonald’s.
All beverages in glasses sold for consumption inside the restaurant, except for tea and hot drinks as part of Happy Meal, are served without lids. Courier and takeaway orders are still served in closed glasses.
In addition, McDonald’s has abandoned rubber gloves in the production area, which were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the company can reduce its rubber consumption by an average of 70 tons per year.
The chain’s restaurants in Vinnytsia are also trying to abandon paper tray liners. On a nationwide scale, this will save 100 tons of paper per year.
McDonald’s initiatives are part of the company’s global commitment to responsible use of resources and waste reduction. By the end of 2025, McDonald’s is committed to fully switching to using all packaging materials from renewable certified raw materials and recyclable raw materials.
