Burger King is testing sustainable alternatives for eight of its most popular packaging items at 51 of its restaurants in Miami.
The items include cutlery, straws, drink lids, Frypod fry containers, Whopper wrappers and napkins.
The company will trial Frypods made from renewable unbleached virgin paperboard, cutlery made with plant-based crystallised polylactic acid (cPLA), napkins made from fully recycled fibre, paper and plant-based straws, strawless lids, and two sustainable alternatives for Whopper sandwich wraps.
Burger King innovation and sustainability head Matthew Banton said: “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 using alternative materials for straws, participating Burger King restaurants in the US are expected to remove up to 500 million single-use plastic straws a year.
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By GlobalDataThe sustainable alternatives for Whopper sandwich wraps could also reduce paper usage by 13% and 34% respectively.
Once the pilot programme is completed, the company will take guest feedback to inform its nationwide sustainable packaging plan for next year.
The initiatives are the result of Burger King’s partnership with Coca-Cola Company and Kraft Heinz.
Kraft Heinz US Away From Home president Peter Hall said: “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.”
Last October, Burger King partnered with TerraCycle’s circular packaging service, Loop, to pilot new reusable packaging.
The company initially targeted the scheme at restaurants in New York City, Portland and Tokyo, but is now looking to expand it into Paris and London as well.