Burger King is rolling out reusable packaging

Change
Companies
Posted 5 May, 2022

Credit: Thred

By Elliot Wheatland-Clinch

London, UK

11 energy + Add Energy

0 comments

Fast-food chain Burger King has teamed up with reuse platform Loop to trial a range of reusable and returnable packaging to cut down on single-use waste.

Friday night’s fast food indulgence is about to become a little less guilty.

Five restaurants in the UK will be the first to experiment with Burger King’s new sustainable packaging system.

Eco-conscious customers in Ipswich and Newmarket will be able to order a plant-based Whopper that comes in a novel brown container nicknamed the ‘clamshell’. You’ll also be able to pick up a Diet Coke packaged in an upcycled and reusable cup. Nifty, eh?

New customers will have to pay a £1 ‘deposit’. Don’t worry though, you’ll get your money back when you return the packaging to the restaurant. Download the Loop app on your phone, scan the barcode on the ‘clamshell’ or cup, and deposit it into one of the designated bins outside participating restaurants.

The packaging is then washed and sanitized ready to be reused and fulfill the next flame-grilled craving. Nugget fans need not fret either, as the burger container is designed to house a range of mains and sides from the menu.

This all sounds preferable to the continuous stream of cardboard cups and boxes that decorate Saturday morning streets and are often too greasy to recycle. Not to mention, the clamshell looks like it will give Deliveroo drivers a better chance of actually keeping our food warm!

The scheme is part of Burger King’s commitment to removing single-use plastic from its restaurants by 2025, but it’s not just the patty-flipping monarch who’s getting involved.

In yet another royal scandal, the Loop has been cheating on Burger King with arch nemesis McDonalds, creating a reusable coffee cup.

McDonalds adopts a nearly identical system to Burger King’s new packaging with one potentially game-changing difference – customers who return their coffee cup to the restaurant receive 20p off their next refill.

It would be great to see the King utilize incentives like this to encourage customers to embrace their sustainable packaging. But looking at the big picture, whether you’re a royalist or circus supporter, the real clowns are the fast-food chains not adapting to the new eco-conscious mindset of Gen Z.

Fingers crossed the trials running from April to September are a success, and we can see the new initiative implemented worldwide.

Elliot Wheatland-Clinch

Head of Production and Design London, UK

Elliot (He/Him) – As Head of Production and Design, I am a fan of all things to do with moving images – film, TV, animation, you name it. Simply put, I love making videos and telling stories, and when I’m not doing that, I’m probably reading them. Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback on email.

More from thred.

Sadiq Kahn says the Thames River will be safe to swim in by 2034

Credit: Thred

Planet

Sadiq Kahn says the Thames River will be safe to swim in by 2034

The Mayor of London has announced a decade-long plan to clean up the Thames River in hopes that city-dwellers will one day safely swim in its waters. Do you ever find yourself walking along Southbank on a hot summer’s day, wishing you could take a refreshing dip in the River Thames? No, me neither. Regardless, the capital’s Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced a new ‘moonshot plan’ to make London’s winding river...

By Jessica Byrne London, UK

Plant diseases are increasingly destroying EU trees and crops

Credit: Pexels

Planet

Plant diseases are increasingly destroying EU trees and crops

While farmers and conservationists struggle to contain previously introduced pathogens, new outbreaks are being detected. According to scientists, the problem will only get worse as temperatures rise. Infectious diseases don’t just threaten the health of humans and animals. Plants are also susceptible to new pathogens, and scientists are concerned that a growing number of species could be at risk as temperatures rise and the climate, as a result, carries on...

By Sofia Phillips London, UK

Is Bark Air’s flight service for dogs really necessary?

Credit: Bark Air/Thred

Companies

Is Bark Air’s flight service for dogs really necessary?

Bark Air is the first airline offering luxury flights for our furry friends. But they’ll cost you. In today’s world, convenience tends to reign supreme. If you can afford it, anyway. Bark Air, a new airline for – you guessed it – dogs, is taking our obsession with convenience to new heights. The brand launches this May, and will offer international flights for our furry friends. Routes will cover New York to London...

By Flo Bellinger Brighton, UK

Is cloud seeding to blame for the Dubai floods?

Credit: Pexels

Planet

Is cloud seeding to blame for the Dubai floods?

Last week, approximately 25cm of rain – roughly twice the UAE’s yearly average – fell in a single day, leaving much of the city’s outdoor infrastructure under water. This has sparked a debate about weather modification. In parts of the Northern Hemisphere, April is known as the month of showers. This is due to the spring shift in weather patterns and is great for plant growth,