McDonald's Ukraine Ltd., which is developing the McDonald’s fast-food restaurant chain in Ukraine, plans to completely eliminate plastic use by the end of 2025, announced the company’s supply chain director, Oleg Atanov, to the Interfax-Ukraine agency.
“By the end of 2025, the company aims to phase out all plastic packaging and obtain 100% of the packaging materials for McDonald’s meals from renewable sources. The practices implemented this year have significantly reduced annual material usage. For instance, the elimination of paper liners for trays has resulted in a reduction of 100,000 tons of paper per year, the discontinuation of plastic cutlery and drink lids has saved 48,500 tons annually, and the removal of rubber gloves in the production area has cut down 70 tons of rubber,” Atanov reported.
He outlined the chain's upcoming plans to implement circular economy principles. By December 2024, burger wrappers will be made from recycled materials with grease-resistant coatings, and cups for "McSundae" will be made from molded cellulose fiber.
Plastic drink lids are currently provided only upon customer request, and they will be replaced by lids made from molded cellulose fiber - for cold drinks in May 2025, and for hot drinks by the end of July 2025.
Cup holders made from recycled materials were produced in Ukraine before the war, but the chain is currently importing them. The plan is to restore purchases from Ukrainian manufacturers by the end of 2025.
Atanov emphasized the goal of maximizing localization within the packaging materials group. For example, in the first phase, paper straws will be sourced from Europe, but there are already proposals from Ukrainian manufacturers who will compete primarily on product quality.
He noted that McDonald’s is building a partnership ecosystem and stimulating demand for secondary raw materials by spreading circular economy principles in Ukraine. The company collaborates with about 20 enterprises in various regions of the country that assist with waste collection, logistics, and sorting.
Every month, McDonald’s sorts and sends for recycling over 200 tons of waste from its dining areas and kitchens: 126 tons of paper, 11 tons of cups and Tetra Pak packaging, 7 tons of polyethylene and other plastics, 60 tons of vegetable oil, and 15 tons of organic waste (which goes to compost).
As reported, in 2019, waste sorting began in McDonald’s kitchens, and since 2021, sorting stations have been installed in restaurants across the country where customers can separate food packaging and other waste into categories: "paper," "plastic," "cups," "liquid," and "other." Paper waste is recycled into cardboard boxes and takeaway/delivery bags; plastic waste is repurposed into garbage bags and other plastic products; used vegetable oil is converted into biofuel and paint; grill fat is filtered and processed into lubricants for the chemical industry; coffee grounds are added to briquettes used for heating homes; and organic waste is transformed into fertilizer.
In 2018, the global McDonald’s corporation committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with restaurant and office operations by 36% by the end of 2030 (compared to 2015 levels). In 2021, it joined the UN's Race to Zero campaign to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
The first McDonald’s establishment in Ukraine opened on May 24, 1997, in Kyiv. The chain currently operates 120 locations nationwide (including 15 temporarily closed for safety reasons).
McDonald’s began a phased reopening of restaurants in Ukraine on September 20, 2022.