McDonald's customers can now order drinks and desserts in reusable packaging in ten selected restaurants in Germany. The company is thus testing its own reusable deposit system before the national rollout in all restaurants at the end of 2022.
McDonald's Germany is trialling this at ten locations (including in the Munich area and in Berlin) Own reusable packaging for in-house and to-go consumption. The products in the new reusable packaging will be served at the request of guests and for orders in the restaurant and at the McDrive. The experiment will initially run for just under two months until the end of the year.
On site in the so-called „Better M Stores“, guests and employees have the opportunity to give feedback on the new packaging. This should make a significant contribution to improving the concept. With the test scenario, the company is preparing for the Germany-wide rollout of our own returnable deposit system for drinks and ice cream until December 2022.
Reusable deposit system before the 2023 reusability obligation
With the test of its own reusable deposit system McDonald's Germany is setting an early course for alternative and plastic-saving packaging solutions, even before a legal obligation to use reusable packaging comes into force in 2023. When ordering, guests can indicate which of the test products they would like to use reusable packaging for. One euro deposit is charged per package. When the reusable cups are returned to the participating test restaurants, the deposit is refunded in full. In this way, the company ensures that the packaging finds its way back to the restaurant and can be reused.
The cup design for the national launch of McDonald's own reusable packaging will also be further developed after the test based on feedback from guests. The test is supported by an eye-catching communication campaign in the participating test restaurants and via digital channels in the predominantly local environment.
The measures to reduce waste and packaging are part of McDonald's Germany's comprehensive sustainability strategy. In addition to the test run of the reusable system, McDonald's is working on optimising its existing disposable packaging, focusing on a Own recycling system for disposable beverage cups and a high proportion of recycled materials in its packaging. McDonald's paper-based packaging already comes from 100 per cent recycled or certified sources.
Source: McDonald's Germany
