McDonald’s to replace polystyrene foam cups with paper cups at 14,000 US restaurants

By James McLaren, Senior Editor, PPI Pulp & Paper Week, RISI

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 27, 2013 (RISI) – McDonald’s has agreed to replace its polystyrene foam hot beverage cups with paper-based cups at all its 14,000 restaurants in the US, according to social corporate responsibility advocate As You Sow.

McDonald’s rolled out a pilot program in March 2012 to replace foam cups with paper stock at 2,000 of its US stores. The company tested double-walled fiber hot cups at 15% of their stores, primarily on the West Coast, for consumer acceptance, operation impact, and overall importance.

“The company has confirmed that the pilots were successful and that it will phase out foam cups at all locations in the coming months. We are pleased that the company decided to make the switch to paper cups permanent and expand it to all of its restaurants,” As You Sow said.

Starbucks uses 10% recycled paper fiber in its paper hot beverage cups and has committed to recycle all post-consumer paper and plastic cups discarded in company-owned stores by 2015, As You Sow noted.

Source: http://www.risiinfo.com