Recyclable Cardboard Packaging for Salads also Coming : McDonald’s UK to Cut Single-Use Plastics Waste with Lidless McFlurries

Following its replacement of plastic straws with ones made of paper, McDonald’s UK is shaking up its drinks menu with the removal of plastic lids from all McFlurry options from September, a measure which will reduce plastic waste by 383 metric tonnes annually.

In addition, the company said that all single-use plastic will also be removed from McDonald’s salads from next week – all main meal and side salads will be served in 100% renewable and recyclable cardboard containers.

Changing out the existing plastic bowl, shaker salad cups and lids will result in 102 metric tonnes of plastic being removed annually. These containers are made from ‘carton board’ which contains 50% recycled content and 50% new, which itself comes from certified sustainable sources. The coating on the containers, designed to keep them rigid, is also 100% renewable.

In total, the new packaging across the McFlurry and salads range will reduce plastic waste by around 485 metric tonnes annually.

In 2018 the business announced that it would replace over 8 billion plastic straws used annually by customers in the UK with paper straws. The changes are part of the business’ on-going commitment to move to more sustainable packaging; globally McDonald’s has committed to source all packaging from renewable or recycled sources by 2025.

“Removing plastic lids from the McFlurry, and introducing new cardboard packaging for salads, will save nearly 500 metric tonnes of plastic a year. It’s the latest step in our sustainability journey,” said Beth Hart, Supply Chain Director, McDonald’s UK & Ireland.

“We continue to look for solutions for our cutlery and lids, for example, but this is great progress,” he continued. “For us, sustainability is about more than just packaging. We have to look at the whole journey – by 2030 we’re committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 36%.”

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