Eleven McDonald's restaurants in the Sheffield area have completed a test programme turning waste into energy, and found it has helped reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
During the pilot period, the restaurants collected their waste to be incinerated instead of dumped in a landfill. The restaurants were able to cut their waste disposal carbon footprint by more than half, shaving 54% off their carbon emissions. Carbon Trust, a government-funded independent company, helped audit the project.
The 11 pilot restaurants will continue to turn their waste into power, and McDonald's will analyze how to implement the programme at other locations. McDonald's has been testing green projects at various restaurants around the world, including a geothermal project in the US and an effort to use cooking oil as fuel in England
