“Better McDonald’s Store”: Fast food giant reveals results of 10-day plastic-free trial

05 Sep 2019 --- In a bid to test new packaging solutions and recycling initiatives, McDonald’s opened the “Better McDonald’s Store” in the Mall of Berlin in the German capital from June 17-26, replacing all food and beverage packaging with plastic-free alternatives. This restaurant experiment served both to anticipate compliance requirements for the impending EU-wide ban on single-use plastic as well as to address consumer concerns on plastic waste.

For ten days, the Better McDonald’s Store underwent considerable packaging changes. Edible waffle cups replaced condiment sachets and containers. Paper straws replaced plastic straws. Wooden cutlery replaced plastic cutlery. Sandwiches were wrapped in packaging made from grass, not paper. Also, Chicken McNuggets were served in paper bags rather than cardboard boxes.

The Better McDonald’s Store’s efforts yielded varied customer responses. The majority of customers during this trial period were convinced by the grass wrapper for burgers both in terms of user- and eco-friendliness. While the edible waffle cups provided a workable solution to the current sauce and dip sachets and containers, many people indicated the shape should be modified for dipping Chicken McNuggets. 

However, there were some complaints to take into consideration as well. Although customers appreciated the eco-friendly paper straws, they also found them less durable and not as easy to use. An interesting set-back proved to be the wooden cutlery which directly addressed consumers’ concerns on single-use plastics. Nevertheless, customers disliked the cutlery’s “woody” taste. 

“New solutions for single-use packaging primarily demands adjustments not only from companies but also from consumers. That is why we want to find out in this experiment what is possible and what would require further elaboration. An innovative solution can only work if it conforms with our operative processes within the restaurants, our sanitation requirements and our guests’ tastes,” explains Heike Bierweiler, Supply Chain Director of McDonald’s Germany. 

McDonald’s is not the first to tinker with consumer-appeasing packaging alternatives. There is a particular drive throughout the foodservice industry to set practical alternatives in motion as they approach the EU ban on throwaway plastics by 2021. 

Unilever released its branded Carte d’Or ice cream in compostable paperboard packaging, with raw material for the new paperboard bowl sourced traceable and sustainable sources. This compostable bowl presents a potential reduction of 520 tons of plastic each year. 

KitKat switched its chocolate candy bars wrapping from plastic to paper as an additional means of reaching its commitment of 100 percent recyclable or reusable packaging by 2025. Unique to the Japanese language where the brand name KitKat is very close to the Japanese phrase “kitto katus,” translating to “you will surely win,” the company encourages consumers in the Japanese market to reuse to create origami cranes after consumption. 

McDonald’s concedes that more research is needed in order to do right by both people and planet. Regarding the Better McDonald’s Store, McDonald’s Germany’s social media channels encouraged customers to contribute to the discussion online via surveys on the respective sustainable packaging solutions. McDonald’s Germany has stated that all consumer feedback and responses from the surveys would be evaluated and contribute to its sustainability strategy. 

By Anni Schleicher