Washington, DC – Burger King announced today that it has partnered with circular packaging service Loop on a reusable packaging pilot program. The fast food giant will offer the reusable packaging at select locations in New York City, Portland, and Tokyo starting in 2021. The locations will feature a collection system where guests can return the packaging to be cleaned and reused.
In Canada, Tim Hortons — also owned by Restaurant Brands International — announced a similar partnership with Loop as well.
In response to the news, Greenpeace USA Oceans Campaign Director John Hocevar said:
“The fast food sector is among the most wasteful in the world — nearly everything is packaged in unrecyclable, single-use packaging that is only used for a few seconds or minutes. The pandemic has only worsened those impacts, as more people opt for quick carryout options from these restaurants. It is encouraging to see Burger King experimenting with reusables, and we hope to see them scale this initiative up as soon as possible. Reusables can be cleaned and sanitized to protect our health, while also making meaningful progress for our environment.
“The solutions to the plastic pollution crisis already exist, but so far the fast food sector has mostly ignored its responsibility for the throwaway culture that plagues our oceans and communities. Companies cannot simply swap out one throwaway item for another and expect to make a real difference. Hopefully this move from Burger King will prompt competitors to make similar changes toward reuse and refill solutions.”
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Contact: Perry Wheeler, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, P: 301-675-8766