Recycle, Renew

We start with a three-pronged approach: reduce, reuse, and recycle; and we’re committed to diverting as much waste as possible from the solid waste stream.

McDonald’s has come up with countless small ways to make a big impact: Switching to unbleached paper napkins made from recycled materials. Examining how our suppliers package raw materials and cleaning supplies. We’ve even created litter patrols to ensure we’re good neighbors in our communities.

In several countries, our restaurants are recycling their used cooking oil for re-use in a variety of products, including the creation of environmentally-friendly biodiesel. In some markets, McDonald’s delivery trucks use our own re-purposed cooking oil as fuel. We call this a “closed-loop solution,” and we’re very proud of it. Get more details here.

Our customers are also helping make a difference. McDonald’s restaurants inside WalMart stores saved an estimated 170 million napkins (equivalent to 497 tons of wood) in just one year through the “One Meal, One Napkin” campaign.