McDonald’s UK to Implement New Initiatives to Promote Sustainability

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Category: Business

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. environmental impact / ɛnˈvaɪ rən mən təl ˈɪm pækt / (n) – an effect on the environment
    Example:

    Activists criticized the factory because of its environmental impact.


  2. staple / ˈsteɪ pəl / (adj) – always used or needed
    Example:

    Bread is a staple food in our home.


  3. pledge / plɛdʒ / (v) – to promise to do something
    Example:

    The company pledged to use more electric vehicles to help reduce air pollution.


  4. curb / kɜrb / (v) – to control or manage something
    Example:

    I’m consuming less sugar to curb weight gain.


  5. incorporate / ɪnˈkɔr pəˌreɪt / (v) – to add something as part of another thing
    Example:

    The business will incorporate new strategies in its marketing initiatives.


Article

Read the text below.

Fast-food chain McDonald’s has stepped up efforts to reduce its environmental impact by planning to remove plastic Happy Meal toys and eliminating the use of some plastic products at its UK locations.


The company announced that by 2021, every Happy Meal will come with either a soft toy, a toy made of paper, or a book. McDonald’s started the Happy Meal in 1979, and the set meal with a toy has become a staple product of the chain since then. McDonald’s said that the goal of this new initiative is to eliminate the use of over 3,000 metric tons of plastic in total.


The company plans to test the initiative by giving customers the option to choose between a plastic and a non-plastic Happy Meal toy. McDonald’s will also launch another program in which customers can donate plastic toys to McDonald’s locations across the UK. The collected items will be recycled into new toys.


Additionally, McDonald’s has removed the plastic lids from its McFlurry ice cream containers. This action cut around 385 metric tons of plastic. The company has also started using paper for its salad boxes and drinking straws.


McDonald’s, which has around 38,000 branches globally, has pledged to curb its greenhouse gas emissions by 36% by 2030 and to completely use recyclable materials for its packaging by 2025.  The vice president of McDonald’s Global Sustainability unit said the chain hopes to incorporate the environmental efforts and programs of McDonald’s UK in the company’s other branches around the world.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• Do you think the new initiatives of McDonald’s UK are the best ways to reduce the company’s environmental impact? Explain.
• How can McDonald’s make sure that the new Happy Meal initiative appeals to customers? Discuss.

Discussion B

• What kind of environmentally friendly initiatives do businesses do in your country (e.g. banning plastic utensils, using paper bags)? Discuss.
• Do you think all businesses should be required to implement environmentally friendly initiatives? Why or why not?