Our Planet

Greener for Our Community, Greener for Our Planet

McDonald’s UAE has long been committed to creating a positive environmental impact by embedding sustainability into its operations. With various eco-friendly initiatives and partnerships, the company is playing a vital role in contributing to the UAE’s vision for a cleaner, greener future.

For the past three decades, McDonald’s UAE has partnered with the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) to develop initiatives such as the ‘Clean UAE’ campaign and tree planting efforts. These initiatives have made a significant contribution to reducing the nation’s carbon footprint. Since 2007, McDonald’s UAE has helped plant more than 2 million trees, reducing over 12,500 metric tons of CO2, while also participating in aluminum recycling efforts that mitigated 5,799 metric tons of CO2. Through the ‘Clean UAE’ campaign, the company contributed to removing more than 1,600,000 kg of waste since 2022.

McDonald’s UAE also supports circular economy principles, working alongside organizations such as Neutral Fuels to convert 100% of its used cooking oil into biodiesel. Since 2011, McDonald’s UAE’s trucks have traveled more than 28 million kilometers on biodiesel, saving over 26 million kilograms of CO2 emissions and recycling more than 8.6 million liters of used cooking oil. This initiative significantly reduces the environmental impact of its logistics operations.

In line with its global sustainability goals, McDonald’s UAE has introduced sustainable packaging solutions, including the replacement of plastic straws with paper ones and transitioning to wooden cutlery and stirrers. These changes are set to be fully implemented across all UAE restaurants by the end of 2024, and by 2025, the company aims to eliminate plastics from Happy Meal toys and shift to more sustainable packaging materials across its entire product range. Furthermore, all hot drink lids will transition to molded fiber, and remaining plastic packaging will be replaced with recycled materials.

These efforts align with McDonald’s broader goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 36% by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. As McDonald’s UAE continues its sustainability journey, the company remains dedicated to promoting environmental responsibility and supporting the UAE’s green initiatives, positioning itself as a leader in corporate sustainability.