Amid growing awareness about the world’s plastic binge, fast-food chains have come under increasing pressure from the public to shrink their environmental footprint. Last month, for example, we saw McDonald’s partner with reusable packaging brand Loop to experiment with reusable cups. Now, Burger King is preparing to join the reuse bandwagon as well.
As part of the new venture, the fast-food chain has partnered up with Loop to pilot reusable sandwich containers and beverage cups at certain Burger King restaurants in New York City and Portland, Oregon.
Starting next year, customers at these restaurants will have the option to choose reusable packaging when they order takeaway and then return the containers to a collection bin. Loop will then take the reusables to be cleaned and sterilized and then bring them back to the restaurant to be reused.
“The benefit is, you’re able to serve your guests without having to create that single-use item in the first place,” says Matt Banton, global head of innovation and sustainability at Burger King. “This product is durable enough to go through the system multiple times, so it’s ultimately reducing our environmental impact, and minimizing the amount of single-use packaging that we have to produce as well.”
Currently, the partners are still testing the material for the final design, but the aim is to make a container that can be reused at least 100 times. If the pilot is successful, Burger King will make the service a permanent thing and scale it up to other cities around the world.
