Packaging and waste

Improving our packaging

We’re committed to taking steps to reduce the environmental impact of our customer packaging by transitioning to materials that are reclaimed, renewable or certified, and redesigning packaging to improve recovery and reduce waste.

For more than a decade, McDonald’s Australia has been working alongside the global business to scope and introduce initiatives that support this commitment, including supporting a global goal to source all customer primary packaging (excluding pre-packaged products) from renewable, reclaimed or certified materials by the end of 2025. By the end of 2025, the global business substantially achieved this goal, with 95.8% of customer packaging (excluding pre-packaged goods) sourced from renewable, reclaimed or certified materials, and we are proud of the progress made.

Packaging changes

Some of the packaging changes implemented include:

• By the end of 2025, we converted clear cups and lids to recycled PET (rPET), estimated to remove approximately 1,200 tonnes of virgin plastic annually from our restaurants (based on 2024 volumes).
• Introducing hot drink lids made from wood fibre in Western Australia restaurants in February 2024, estimated to remove approximately 51 tonnes of plastic from circulation across Western Australian restaurants each year (based on 2022 volumes).
• Being one of the first restaurant groups in Australia to phase out single-use plastic straws and cutlery nationally, removing more than 500 million plastic straws and 115 million pieces of plastic cutlery from annual circulation. These figures are based on the number of plastic straws and cutlery used nationwide in 2019.

Supporting responsible disposal of our packaging

As members of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), we work with other brand owners and industry partners to improve packaging design and recovery outcomes.

Learn more about APCO and the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) here.

In 2025, we increased the volume of packaging labelled with the ARL or compostable logo (in South Australia and Western Australia in accordance with legislation) from 13% to 20%, and we continue to work with suppliers, APCO and industry partners towards further increases.

Including the ARL or compostable logo on our packaging helps customers understand how to dispose of packaging responsibly.

We are continuing to trial new ways to support the separation of recyclable packaging in restaurants, including a trial of customer recycling bins in 20 restaurants in across NSW commencing in 2025 and ongoing, and by working with industry partners to strengthen recycling systems.