McDonald’s UAE is advancing its sustainability efforts by introducing eco-friendly packaging across its outlets. The fast-food chain has begun replacing plastic items with wooden stirrers, wooden cutlery, and paper straws, with a full transition expected by the end of the year. By 2025, McDonald’s will switch to molded fiber lids for hot drinks and replace all PET products with recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET). Additionally, the company plans to significantly reduce the plastic used in Happy Meal toys by the end of 2025.
This initiative aligns with the UAE’s environmental goals for a greener future. Walid Fakih, CEO of McDonald’s UAE, emphasized the brand’s long-standing commitment to sustainability, citing their 2011 partnership with Neutral Fuels to convert used cooking oil into biodiesel, which has helped save more than 26 million kg of CO2 emissions. Through collaboration with Emirates Environmental Group, McDonald’s has also planted over 2 million trees and recycled 380,000 kg of aluminum cans.