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As You Sow
The paper cups being tested by McDonald's, one of which is seen here, look a lot like existing polystyrene cups.
Call it a potentially small step for mankind but a potentially giant one for McDonald's: Some 2,000 of its restaurants, 15 percent of all those in the U.S., are testing the idea of recycling their coffee cups by replacing the existing polystyrene cups with paper ones.
"The objective of this test is to assess customer acceptance, operational impact and overall performance," McDonald's USA spokeswoman Ashlee Yingling told msnbc.com.
Word of the test was first revealed earlier Wednesday by the activist group As You Sow, which at the last McDonald's shareholders meeting submitted a proposal to assess beverage container impacts and develop packaging recycling goals.
The vote didn't pass, but McDonald's recently notified As You Sow of its prototype paper cups, which are "double hulled" to prevent burned fingers.
"This is a great first step for McDonald's and we hope it will lead to a permanent switch to paper cups in all of its restaurants," Conrad MacKerron, As You Sow's senior program director, said in a statement. "Given the company's history of using high levels of recycled content in other food packaging, we hope that it follows suit with its cups, and also establishes a robust recycling program for post-consumer waste left in its restaurants."
MacKerron told msnbc.com that it shouldn't be difficult to switch to paper cups, given that even coffee giant Starbucks uses them. "Our main goal," he added, is to get McDonald's "to recycle in-store cups."
"There should be no trouble recycling them," MacKerron said when asked if used, moist cups can be ingested by the recycling industry. "Starbucks did tests in 2010 indicating cups can be recycled and is already recycling their own cups in many locations."
Indeed, Starbucks called the results an "important milestone" in its push to ensure all of its cups are reusable or recyclable by 2015.
Composting paper cups is one recycling path, but MacKerron said that's "less preferred environmentally as composting releases greenhouse gases" believed to contribute to global warming. Those gases "would stay embedded if paper was recycled into new cups or other paper products," he adds. "Also, from a material efficiency standpoint, better to reuse the paper than cut down more trees."
Polystyrene products are not commonly recycled. Moreover, styrene, which is used to make polystrene, has been found by the National Institutes of Health to be a likely carcinogen that can increase the risk of cancer for workers in that industry.
As You Sow noted that McDonald's has made changes in other areas, for example, phasing out foam-based food containers in 1990.
"Over the next decade, McDonald's eliminated more than 300 million pounds of packaging and reduced restaurant waste by 30 percent, saving an estimated $6 million per year," As You Sow stated. "However, the company continued to use billions of foam-based beverage cups."
McDonald's said most of the testing is being done at restaurants on the West Coast.
The company doesn't have any customer feedback to report just yet, Yingling said, but the test reflects McDonald's efforts "to seek more environmentally sustainable solutions."
The company does issue an annual sustainability report, and has pledged to source all its food and packaging from sustainable sources over time.
For example, McDonald's says all fish for its fish sandwiches is wild caught, and that 100 percent is sourced from fisheries certified by the Marine Stewardship Council.
Last month, and after a campaign by The Humane Society of the United States, McDonald's said it will require that its U.S. pork suppliers phase out the use of confined stalls for pregnant pigs.
As for the polystyrene cups, Yingling emphasized that no set date has been set for any phase-out.
"At this time, this is only a test," she added. "Future plans have not been determined."
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
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Ashlee Yingling? Isn't she the one that owns "Yingling Bro's & Barnum & Baily Circus"? Hhmmm? Working incognito at Mickey D's? What? I for one applaude the switch! Anything that can be done to help our environment!
DfromSpencer...are you related to the inventor of the Pez DiSpencer?
This is a stunt, McDonald's is not eco-friendly in any way and clever advertising campaigns will never change that fact.
Excellent. The hot coffee disclaimer is too small for me to read so I think I can definitely capatilize on this new venture when I accidentally spill it on my lap.
That's great! Now if they can make some decent coffee to put in the cup I'll really be impressed.
Sorry, otisfish ... no LEED points for that.
I agree!! Their coffee has always been to strong for me to drink. When hubby and I go to visit friends and relatives, he gets his large Mc D's coffee, then we go to Quik Trip or some place where I can get some coffee that is more more stomach friendly.
I think they make the best medium-blend coffee in the world.
McNasties needs to work on a more "gastrointestinal friendly" assortment of supposed "food". People are better off eating out of the trash instead of their menu.
I knew some ass would run off-topic just because it's McDs. Thanks for proving me right.
I knew some douchebag would retort to my observation about Mcnasties. Who the @!$%# are you Ronald Mcdonald? GTFO troll.
Congratulations on being right, Eugene. That's a common occurence for most of us. So, go ahead, pat yourself on the back, and realize it may happen again. Anyway, McDogfood's wants to thank you for "having their back". A free Happy Meal awaits at your nearest location. You don't need I.D. They all know you there, right?
Trolls don't post intelligence, they post off-topic whinerations and stupdity. Much like you two.
Go back to smoking your dope.
What do you call decent? Starbucks? You haven't tasted coffee until: roast your own, wait 3-4 days grind it just before using a aero-press and it is too die for......Starbucks is disgusting as is Seattle's Best. Oh, but wait what about Dunkin Donuts?
for the price it's a decent Cup as you know it is GreenMountain coffee which roasts a pretty good coffee.
Good for McDonalds! I am always more supportive of companies that try to do the right thing and be responsible. They will get my business over others.
Muck Donalds: Save the Environment and Kill the Customers.
About time!
These have been in use in Australia and elsewhere for a while...doesn't make the coffee from McD's any better though - still pretty atrocious.
Great idea now when slobs through their cups out the window, in or parks etc they will degrade faster.
As someone who has volunteer litter pickup for more than decade I can easily say that McDonalds customers throw out more trash than comes from any other fast food chain. What does it matter what the cup is made of when it is laying on the roadside killing property values? Anheuser-Busch and McDonalds customers contribute far more litter than any other companies in my area.
Nice to see this group had an effect. But this only deals with a portion of the pollution problem.
I do a lot of roadside, parks and cemetary clean ups with local 4-H club. It all comes from the same place A SLOB!
sorry McDonalds - no amount of PR can help you restore yourself after the pink slime escapades and hen egg issues.....some things just can't be fixed for some people and I just don't have any faith that your organization wants to do anything good other than line your pockets with green stuff at the expense of your customers.
Yeah, McDs is really in the tank after all the bad pub. You just can't see it because of all the customers they have.
Will they be replacing the polystyrene in their burgers with meat or pink slime?
If people only knew what kind of crap they are sticking into their Pie Holes, it would make them sick. Processed and packaged foodstuffs are unfit. Twinkies shelf life is longer than the shelf. -- food for thought !
I liked the Chevy truck commercial during Super Bowel. Everything is gone but their trucks and Twinkies!
Better than the slime in the burgers that finally came out..and to think all this time and how many I've eaton. We'll probably find out the cups contained grasses that came from kangeroo kennels in Australia who knows. Sorry Australia...good luck on this venture McDonalds I've enjoyed your products for many years..eh one more thing, what do you put in those shakes?
Why do liberals hate American companies?
Not all hot coffee is good coffee, but all good coffee is hot. Paper is a lousy choice for holding coffee - we've been trying it for a century and it's a P.P.P. Keep trying MaC and your coffee can be a bad as Starbucks - doesn't have far to go as it is.
This is not news. For a long time this company has been more concerned about product delivery than the product being delivered.
Maybe they should focus on making eco friendly food (apparently the alleged "food" doesn't decompose). As for the cups, why didn't they do it a long time ago? Seems like I've been getting coffee cups from other places that are paper for a long time now. Or, here's an idea, maybe the American public should just stop buying at places that are not eco friendly and make a statement if it bothers them that much. Wouldn't you rather take a stand instead of make an excuse?
Something like a lobby group some things can stick around for a long time...depends on price to make and profitability sometimes hard to make those big decisions like plastic bags that were going to reduce the cutting of trees now theres a plastic bag mess. Isn't plastic made from our oil that keeps going up? Theres some very bright young people out there just waiting for their chance at change....go for it kids. Styrfoam cups never did much for coffee.
Another company caves in to eco-blackmail.