Burger King® Rolls Out Green Packaging Pilot Program

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

The guest packaging will be tested in 51 of their 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.

They 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. They'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.

Matthew Banton, head of innovation and sustainability, Burger King®:
 

"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. 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, Burger King® can get direct feedback from guests on how the packages perform, make iterative changes with their supplier, and build an implementation roadmap for the system. Upon completion of the pilot test, they will take the learnings and guest feedback to inform their plans for nationwide sustainable packaging in the next year.

This pilot gives Burger King® the opportunity to gain knowledge and provide learnings for the industry while getting them one step closer towards their 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, they are continuing to develop their 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.

Burger King®'s reusable pilot will offer more guests the option to join them in their 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, they are partnering with The Coca-Cola Company and Kraft Heinz to bring these initiatives to life. Leveraging their combined size and resources, they will work together to provide insights, packaging expertise, and resources on these pilots, helping to maximize future national potential.
 Barry Danckert, vice president, Global RBI Customer Team, The Coca-Cola Company:
 

"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. This effort supports The Coca-Cola Company’s World Without Waste initiative and virgin plastic reduction goal."

Peter Hall, president, U.S. Away From Home, Kraft Heinz:
 

"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."