Next time you want to order a burger that has not exacerbated climate change during its production, the McDonald’s outlet in Market Drayton, Shropshire, England, has several to sell to you. The joint is the first net-zero MacDonald in the whole world.
The Market Drayton outlet was also net-zero during its construction. It will serve as a model for other outlets built from 2022 onwards. The business is run on a combination of solar panels and two wind turbines, producing 60,000 kWh per year.
The new MacDonald’s joint used cladding and insulation materials produced from recycled materials. Even the washing machines were rescued from the landfill.
Other recycled materials like tires were used to construct the Drive-Thru. The curbstones came from recycled plastic bottles.
The fast-food joint offers destination chargers for their customers owning electric vehicles. They will sit on chairs made from 100 percent recyclable materials as they await their order or munch on the food they have bought. When the furniture needs to be replaced, it will be recycled again.
Commenting on the opening, Beth Hart, VP of supply chain and brand trust at MacDonald’s, said, “At McDonald’s, we believe that our food needs to be served in restaurants that are sustainable for the future. Market Drayton is a big step towards making that a reality, enabling us to test and put into practice what a net zero emissions building, both in build and use, really looks like. We’ve already started to roll out some of these innovations to other restaurants, but what is exciting about Market Drayton is the fact it will act as a blueprint for our future new builds.”
Simon McWhirter, the UK’s Green Building Council’s director of communications, policy, and places, enthused, “The challenge of decarbonizing the construction industry is a complex one, but McDonald’s commitment to building the first restaurant in the U.K. in line with UKGBC’s net zero carbon buildings framework is a critical first step. We welcome the ambition to achieve net zero emissions for all McDonald’s restaurants and offices by 2030.”
Apart from making its facilities net-zero, MacDonald’s wants to feature more plant-based options on its menu. It will also begin assessing its numerous suppliers on ethics and sustainability. The long-term goal is to attain net-zero in all its 1400 outlets and offices by 2030 in the UK and Ireland, and across all its operations by 2040.
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Renewable Brief 