Customers pay the bill for McDonald’s pollution

Impact Report of McDonald’s Netherlands 2024-2025 (p. 15)

The fact that reuse in Dutch McDonald’s restaurants isn’t surprising:

• Unclear ordering process
  • For dine-in you can choose a single-use cup (which is forbidden) – next to the reusable cups, labeled as “take-away” (photo 4);
  • The first options presented on self-service kiosks are single-use cups;
• No deposit is charged on reusable dine-in cups, so customers who want to finish their drink later walk outside with them and do not return them (photo 1);
• Some of the reusable cups for dine-in do not have any information in the ordering process, so it is not clear what kind of cup your order will be served in (and what to do with it). For example, Coca Cola Regular says ‘reusable cup’, but Coca Cola Zero has no information (even though it is also served in a reusable cup) (photo 5);
• Reusable and single-use cups look very similar (photo 1), even though their return processes differ;
  • Single-use: thrown in the bin;
  • Reusable for dine-in: returned to the collection station;
  • Reusable for take-away: returned to the counter to receive a refund;
• Branded cups that can be seen as collector’s items (photo 1);
• Identical paper single-use lids on all cups (single-use and reusable) (photo 2);
• No incentive, such as a deposit, to return reusable packaging for on-site consumption (photo 1 – see also research of the Zwerfinator);
• No communication in the restaurants about the benefits of reuse: little to no effort is made to encourage customers to choose the reusable option;
• For McFlurry, when ordering them both single-use and reusable packaging, we only got served in single-use packaging (photo 3)
• Regarding reusable takeaway packaging: it is unclear where and how consumers can return their packaging, for example whether they can get their deposit back and whether they have to queue up again with other customers to do so (photo 6).

Photo 3 – Order of two McFlurrys, in both single-use and reusable packaging. Both served in single-use

Photo 7 – Return station for reusable cups with space to empty liquids

All of these elements do not align with the Reuse Roadmap developed by Mission Reuse on behalf of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. Although certain aspects of the system are well-designed by McDonald’s (quick deposit refunds at the counter and reasonably clear return stations), it is not enough to achieve desired return rates. Nevertheless, McDonald’s actively communicates that reuse does not work. But a poorly designed system cannot be used to assess the environmental and economic performance of reuse.

Incorrect assumptions and unfounded claims: the truth about paper single-use packaging

Meanwhile, McDonald’s continues to mislead consumers about how “green” their paper packaging supposedly is compared to reusable alternatives. Replacing single-use plastic – or reusable – with single-use paper (with plastic coating) ignores the enormous problems arising from increasing demand for paper. Three billion trees are cut down annually, forests in Estonia and Finland have become net CO₂ emitters, and forest fires and biodiversity loss are increasing (Environmental Paper Network).

And that does not even include transport, energy, and water use: more and more studies show that the endless cycle of resource extraction, production, use, and disposal of single-use packaging has a greater environmental impact than reuse in well-designed systems (Rethink Plastic Alliance, 2021; Eunomia, 2023).

Breaking the rules and undermining the reuse industry

For a year and a half now, McDonald’s Netherlands has been going against the law by selling drinks for on-site consumption in single-use packaging containing plastic. The fast-food giant – larger than KFC and Burger King combined (the latter proves reuse can work through consumer-friendly systems)—is therefore not complying with Dutch rules on single-use cups. For this reason, Fair Resource Foundation has submitted an enforcement request to the Dutch authorities (ILT).

In addition, by deliberately designing a poor reuse system and then blaming the concept of reuse itself, the chain threatens the rise of the Dutch circular industry. McDonald’s is undermining forward-thinking, innovative Dutch reuse companies working toward a cleaner world with lower costs for society.

Reuse is the future, and the future is now

The resultats are clear: optimized reuse systems outperform single-use packaging in both environmental impact and cost-efficiency. Mandatory reuse is therefore an effective, data-driven solution to the single-use culture we have created together.
Burger King, McDonald’s biggest competitor, demonstrates that reuse does work through consumer-friendly systems, including in the fast-food sector. In other sectors, many good examples can also be found at home and abroad, including theme parks (Disneyland Parijs, Walibi, Diergaarde Blijdorp, Toverland), sports clubs (v.v. Oudehaske, v.v. Oegstgeest) and city-wide events (Leids Ontzet, Gentse Feesten).

McDonald’s and the government: make real work of circular economy

McDonald’s Netherlands has that it is “not happy” with the new rules for reusable packaging and prefers paper packaging with plastic coating. By influencing legislation, steering public opinion, and allowing its own reuse system in the Netherlands to fail, McDonald’s is trying to get its way. In its effort to maintain the status quo of single-use packaging, the company is even willing to break the law and profit from customers at the same time.

We call on Thierry Aartsen, State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, to ensure clear and consistent legislation for all sectors, and proper enforcement. Only then can the transition from single-use to reuse truly be achieved. As the State Secretary himself noted during the most recent Parliamentary Debate on the Circular Economy, “it would be a shame” to go back to “paper cups.” It is therefore essential not to roll back existing reuse legislation, but to strengthen it (see our earlier proposals).

Companies that “have invested and want to move forward,” as Aartsen described them, need clear, consistent rules to build well-functioning reuse systems. Furthermore, enforcement is indispensable, and holding the most influential fast-food company, which is breaking the law, accountable would make a significant difference.

Finally, we call on McDonald’s to take responsibility and respect the law, stop resisting, and stop charging customers for prohibited single-use packaging. As market leader, McDonald’s sets the direction for the market. The company proudly claims haar ‘’schaalgrootte in om een positieve impact te maken“. to use its “scale to make a positive impact.” We can only welcome that: on the path toward reusable packaging.

Footnote

[1] Unless high-quality recycled rPET is used and recycled again (think of soft cups at festivals)↑

[2] We visited the following 12 restaurants to investigate the reuse system: Arnhem Station, Beestenmarkt (Leide), Coolsingel (Rotterdam), Donkersteeg (Leiden), Hazeldonk-Oost (Hazeldonk), Hoogstraat (Rotterdam), Lange Vie (Utrecht), Oudegracht (Utrecht), Persant Snoepweg (Leiderdorp), Rhijnhofweg (Oegstgeest), Rooseveltstraat (Leiden), Turfmarkt 95 (Den Haag)↑