McDonald's UK launches recyclable, reusable cups for hot drinks

Six McDonald's restaurants in Northampton and surrounding areas have been selected as pilots for the company's innovative sustainability programme
.
McDonald's has partnered with global recycling platform Loop to introduce recyclable coffee mugs on the menu, an option designed to help customers save more money and reduce waste
.

Customers can drink hot beverages from recycled Loop cups for a £1 deposit, helping to reduce the number of single-use coffee cups that are recycled or landfilled
.
As a thank you, they will get a 20p discount on their purchase
.

Once enjoyed, customers simply return the cups to a specific Loop-branded collection bin set up at participating restaurants, so the cups can be sent for cleaning and reuse
.
Participating customers will get 20p off their next order of a medium hot drink - meaning it only takes 5 returns for customers to break even and continue to earn 20p each time they choose a Loop cup 's offers
.
If customers forget their cups on their next visit, they also have the option to pay an additional £1 deposit and have both cups returned
.

The cups are based on past disposable coffee cups by circular design brand Circular
Co.
The cup is made of engineered PP plastic because it is durable and easy to clean, but it also uses recycled paper cup material for the outer insulation, thus reducing the amount of plastic used
.
When the reusable cups finally reach their end of life, they are recycled and the recovered material is used to make the next batch of reusable cups
.

Once the cups for washing are collected, the restaurant sends them to Loop's local custom washing facility, which was established in partnership with industry experts EcoLab and DHL
.
Here, the cups will be washed and ready to be refilled through a protected sanitation area, ensuring complete separation
.
Loop will scientifically assess the cleanliness of the container after each wash and dry cycle, and only when the cup is completely clean will the cup be approved for release and repackaged for repeated use
.

Over the past few years, McDonald's has saved more than 4,000 tons of plastic each year by eliminating plastic Happy Meal toys and replacing plastic straws, chicken McNuggets and salad boxes with more sustainable options
.
Almost 90 percent of McDonald's packaging currently comes from recycled or recycled sources, and the brand is working to increase that number
.
The restaurants also plan to use as little plastic as possible, and only use 100% recyclable or plant-based plastic if it is required for safety or functional reasons
.
All packaging materials will also be fully recyclable or compostable
.