As it brings its Mini McFlurry format to the United States, McDonald’s is serving both the small and standard sizes of its soft serve dessert in four-flap cups – contributing to its goal of achieving 100% renewable, recycled, or certified materials for its primary guest packaging by the end of 2025.
The four-flap format is already available in Canada, Indonesia, and other international markets. Its integration into McDonald’s restaurants in the U.S. is set to help enhance the sustainability credentials of its primary guest packaging range.
This constitutes disposable packaging served to consumers through all consumer channels – e.g. containers, cups, clamshells, folding cartons, salad bowls, cup carriers, wraps, foodservice bags, napkins, straws, and the packaging for its Happy Meal books and toys.
The chain claims that, as of the end of 2023, it sourced 86.7% of such packaging from renewable, recycled, or certified materials. Additionally, over 88.3% of its restaurants in markets with mature waste and recycling infrastructure at a national level, existing recycling legislation, and ‘high’ customer awareness of waste and recycling – McDonald’s claims to operate in 21 of these markets – apparently allow guests to recycle and/or compost packaging items.
The Mini McFlurry became available across participating McDonald’s locations in the U.S. from 10th September. The chain hopes that, alongside a sustainability-minded redesign, a smaller, ‘craveable’ pack will give consumers more control over their portion of the treat.
“Packaging updates like this matter,” said Michael Gonda, SVP, chief impact officer of North America for McDonald’s. “Not only is this a fun new way for our U.S. fans to enjoy the McFlurry; we’re also moving one step closer to fulfilling our packaging and waste commitments.”
McDonald’s was among the companies listed as having decreased their consumption of ‘problematic plastics’ in last year’s annual report from WWF’s ReSource: Plastic programme. Nevertheless, it was noted that the plastic weight in the companies’ aggregate portfolios rose overall.
Meanwhile, independent McDonald’s franchisee Arcos Dorados Holdings is serving paper food packaging featuring J&J Green Paper’s biodegradable, home-compostable, repulpable, and recyclable barrier coating. The move is intended to help phase out plastics, PFAS chemicals, and consumer waste in the fast food sector – currently applying to primary bags and wrappers for hamburgers.
TAPPI
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