Supporting deforestation-free supply chains

Deforestation refers to the loss of natural forest as a result of conversion to agriculture or other non-forest land use; conversion to a plantation forest; or severe and sustained degradation. McDonald's is supporting deforestation-free supply chains, meaning that commodities in the supply chains are either sourced sustainably from high-deforestation priority regions and comply with the certification or verification schemes; or are traced back to low-deforestation priority regions.

Low-deforestation priority regions

These are regions that have been assessed by WWF and are classified to be at no or low risk of deforestation.

Regenerative agriculture

Regenerative agriculture is an approach to farming and food production that focusses on renewal and restoration of the natural resources it interacts with to rebuild soils, improve water retention and utilisation and promote biodiversity.

Value chain

A value chain is the full range of activities needed to run a business. For McDonald’s, this starts with the farmers who supply our food, through to the electricity that powers our restaurants.

Compostable (packaging)

Compostable packaging can biodegrade, without releasing harmful substance, in a specific environment (ie industrial, home or both).

(Primary) guest/customer packaging

Packaging that is used to package or serve food and drinks in McDonald’s restaurants, across all ordering channels. Examples are cups, wraps, clamshells, bags, napkins, or straws.

Recyclable

Recyclable products or packaging can be collected, processed through recycling facilities, and returned to use as raw materials or products.

Recycled materials

These are materials that have been reprocessed from recovered material and made into a final product or a component part of a product. For McDonald’s, recycled content must be third-party verified, FSC certified or part of the PEFC Chain of Custody scheme.

Recycled or certified materials (furniture)

Recycled refers to furniture made from recovered material; certified refers to wood and fibre and means the furniture is Chain of Custody certified, which means it complies with the Forest management and Chain of Custody certification requirements set out by one of the following third-party schemes: Forest Stewardship Council (FSC); Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC); Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).

Recycled or reused (furniture)

The furniture will be designed to enable it to be taken apart or removed at the end of its useful life in such a way that allows the furniture, components or parts to be reused or recycled, and therefore diverted from waste.

Renewable, recycled or certified sources (packaging)

Renewable sources refer to material that is composed of biomass from a living source and that can be continually replenished. Renewable applies to plastics only, not fibre.

Recycled sources refer to material that has been reprocessed from recovered (reclaimed) material through a manufacturing process and made into a final product or used in a product. Recycled material applies to plastics and fibre. Fibre-based packaging made from 100% recycled sources must be third-party verified, unless certified under a Chain of Custody forest management standard.

Certified sources refer to suppliers of primary fibre-based packaging and toys to the McDonald’s System which comply with the Forest management and Chain of Custody certification requirements set out by one of the following schemes: Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC®); Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFCTM) or PEFC endorsed national systems.

Reusable (packaging)

Reusable packaging can be refilled or used again for the same purpose for which it was originally designed.

Smart systems

Production and ordering systems linked to sales and inventory data to minimise waste.

Closing the loop on waste

The used packaging collected from our restaurants will be recycled, reused or composted. Other products generated in our restaurants through the production or consumption of food, and collected from our restaurants, will be diverted from landfill and given a second life, for example inedible food will continue to be sent to anaerobic digestion facilities to create renewable energy for use by our suppliers.