McDonald's in Ukraine to stop using plastic packaging by end of 2025

MOSCOW. Nov 14 (Interfax) - McDonalds Ukraine Ltd., which operates a network of McDonald's fast food restaurants in Ukraine, plans to stop using plastic packaging by the end of 2025, head of the company's procurement department Oleg Atanov told Ukrainian media.

"By the end of 2025, the company aims to stop using all plastic packaging and obtain 100% of McDonald's meal packaging materials from renewable materials. Practices introduced this year have significantly reduced the annual use of materials. For example, eliminating paper tray liners rids of 100,000 tonnes of paper per year, eliminating plastic cutlery and drink caps rids of 48,500 tonnes per year, and eliminating rubber gloves in the production area rids of 70 tonnes of rubber," Atanov said.

The chain plans the immediate implementation of circular economy principles, he said. Burger wrappers will be made of recycled materials with a grease-resistant coating, and McSundae cups will be made of molded cellulose fiber as early as in December 2024.

Plastic lids for drinks are currently issued only at the request of visitors, they will be replaced by lids made of molded cellulose fiber in May 2025 for cold drinks and at the end of July 2025 for hot drinks.

Cup holders made of recycled materials were produced in Ukraine before the crisis, now the chain imports them. It is planned to resume purchases from Ukrainian manufacturers by the end of 2025.

The goal is to maximize localization of packaging materials within the group, Atanov said. For example, paper straws will be supplied from Europe at the first stage but Ukrainian manufacturers already offer such products and will be competing by product quality, above all.

McDonald's is building an ecosystem of partnership and stimulating demand for secondary raw materials, by spreading circular economy principles in Ukraine. The company cooperates with about 20 enterprises in different regions of the country, helping with the collection, logistics and sorting of waste, he said.

Every month, McDonald's sorts and sends for recycling more than 200 tonnes of waste from the halls and kitchen, which includes 126 tonnes of paper, 11 tonnes of Tetra Pak cups and packages, 7 tonnes of polyethylene and other plastic, 60 tonnes of vegetable oil, 15 tonnes of organic matter (goes to compost).

As reported, McDonald's restaurant kitchens started sorting waste in 2019, and restaurants across the country have been installing sorting stations since 2021 for guests sorting food packaging and other waste by "paper", "plastic", "cups", "liquid" and "other" categories. Paper waste is recycled into cardboard boxes, bags for takeout and delivery orders, while plastic waste is used to create garbage bags and other plastic products, used vegetable oil makes biofuels and paint, grill fat is filtered and processed into lubricants in the chemical industry, coffee grounds are added to briquettes used to heat homes, and organic waste is processed into fertilizer.

In 2018, the global McDonald's Corporation committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with restaurant and office operations by 36% by the end of 2030 (compared to 2015). In 2021, it joined the UN Race to Zero campaign to reduce emissions to zero by 2050.

The first McDonald's restaurant in Ukraine opened in Kiev on May 24, 1997. The chain currently has 120 restaurants across the country (including 15 temporarily closed for security reasons).

McDonald's began a phased opening of restaurants in Ukraine on September 20, 2022.

McDonald's revenue in Ukraine increased to 7.8 billion hryvni in the first half of 2024, which is 44% more than in the first half of 2023, profit amounted to 874.8 million hryvni, which is 82% more than in the same period last year, according to YouControl data.

According to the Unified State Register of Legal Entities and Individual Entrepreneurs, the McDonald's Ukraine Ltd. shareholder is MCD Europe Limited (100%, London, UK).