Burger King® Rolls Out Green Packaging Pilot Program

May 04, 2021 at 07:00 AM EDT

BK^® Tests Alternatives for Cutlery, Straws, Drink Lids, Frypods^®, Whopper^® Wrappers and Napkins and Expands Loop Reusables Test in Partnership with The Coca-Cola Company and Kraft Heinz

Burger King^® is committed to being part of a more sustainable future by reducing our environmental footprint. That’s why today, we are continuing our journey by launching a green packaging pilot program focused on finding scalable solutions for eight of our most-used, guest-facing items including forks, spoons, knives, straws, drink lids, Frypods^®, Whopper^® wrappers and napkins.

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BURGER KING® ROLLS OUT GREEN PACKAGING PILOT PROGRAM (Photo: Business Wire)

The guest packaging will be tested in 51 of our company-owned restaurants in Miami and utilizes alternative materials, such as Frypods^® made with renewable unbleached virgin paperboard; cutlery made with cPLA, a plant-based plastic; and napkins made with 100 percent recycled fiber. We will also be testing paper and plant-based straws along with strawless lids, which could potentially eliminate up to 500 million single-use plastic straws annually from participating U.S. Burger King^® restaurants. This action alone would translate to the removal of 910 metric tons of greenhouse gasses per year, the equivalent of 196 vehicles driven for one year. We’re also testing two new options for Whopper^® sandwich wraps, which represent a 13 percent and 34 percent reduction in paper compared to previous wraps, respectively. This could translate to an additional 500 to 1,500 metric tons of paper waste eliminated annually across the U.S.

“Sustainable packaging is a cornerstone of our Restaurant Brands for Good journey, and this new pilot represents a huge opportunity for us to make a difference,” said Matthew Banton, head of innovation and sustainability, Burger King^®. “We’re optimistic about our progress and are committed to reducing waste to do our part in creating a more sustainable future.”

By piloting solutions in restaurants, we can get direct feedback from guests on how the packages perform, make iterative changes with our supplier, and build an implementation roadmap for the system. Upon completion of the pilot test, we will take the learnings and guest feedback to inform our plans for nationwide sustainable packaging in the next year. This pilot gives us the opportunity to gain knowledge and provide learnings for the industry while getting us one step closer towards our goal of advancing packaging sustainability by improving materials and reducing overall packaging used, including single-use plastics.

The green packaging pilot is another action Burger King^® is taking to align with its principle of doing what’s right. In that spirit, we are continuing to develop our global partnership with Loop to reduce single-use packaging through reusables and are looking to include two new cities, Paris and London, in addition to the earlier announced target cities of New York, Portland, and Tokyo. Our reusable pilot will offer more guests the option to join us in our efforts to reduce waste when ordering their Burger King^® favorites like the Whopper^®sandwich, soft drink, or coffee.

Understanding that sustainability requires partnership throughout the supply chain, we are partnering with The Coca-Cola Company and Kraft Heinz to bring these initiatives to life. Leveraging our combined size and resources, we will work together to provide insights, packaging expertise, and resources on these pilots, helping to maximize future national potential.

“We continue to innovate and rethink how consumers enjoy Coca-Cola beverages. We are excited to partner with Burger King^® to offer a reusable packaging alternative for their guests,” said Barry Danckert, vice president, Global RBI Customer Team, The Coca-Cola Company. “This effort supports The Coca-Cola Company’s World Without Waste initiative and virgin plastic reduction goal.”

“Burger King^® has been leading the charge in foodservice sustainability and Kraft Heinz is excited to partner with them and Loop to offer reusable packaging around the world. Global companies and global brands have the power to help shape the world for good and Kraft Heinz is committed to a better future with responsible recycling and reusable initiatives,” said Peter Hall, president, U.S. Away From Home, Kraft Heinz.

To learn more about Restaurant Brands for Good and sustainability commitments and progress from Burger King^®, visit bk.com/sustainability.

About BURGER KING^®:

Founded in 1954, the Burger King^® brand is the second largest fast-food hamburger chain in the world. The original Home of The Whopper^®, the Burger King system operates more than 18,800 locations in more than 100 countries and U.S. territories. Almost 100 percent of Burger King restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees, many of them family-owned operations that have been in business for decades. To learn more about the Burger King^® brand, please visit the Burger King^® brand website at www.bk.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.