CONTINUE TO SITE »
or wait 15 seconds

Food & Beverage

Burger King wants customers to 'bring it on back' for the planet

What's brown-and-white, reusable and makes the earth smile? ...Coming soon to a Burger King near you.

Burger King's soon-to-launch reusable packaging. (Photo provided)

October 22, 2020

Burger King will pilot a reusable packaging program in three cities internationally next year, with more locales on tap for the brown-and-white closed-loop, zero-waste burger containers and beverage cups, according to a news release.

Burger King outlets in New York City, as well as Portland, Oregon and Tokyo, Japan, will be first to implement the initiative launched as part of Burger King's 2-year-old Restaurant Brands for Good framework, through a partnership with TerraCycle's circular packaging service, Loop. All the containers used in the program can be safely cleaned and refilled to be reused repeatedly.

Participating restaurants will feature a collection system in which guests can return the packaging to be safely cleaned through Loop, then reused at Burger King restaurants. Those who opt for the reusable packaging are charged an as-yet-undisclosed deposit fee when they make their food purchases. When customers return the packaging, they get a refund.

"As part of our Restaurant Brands for Good Framework, one of our key pillars is the planet," Matthew Banton, Burger King Head of Innovation and Sustainability, said in an email to QSRweb. "The planet pillar focuses on minimizing our environmental impact. This framework has been in place for nearly two years, and we are testing a new reusable packaging model that will help reduce packaging waste."

Loop said its cleaning systems have been created to sanitize food containers and cups, meaning each will be hygienically cleaned and made safe before each use.

"During COVID, we have seen the environmental impact of increased takeaway ordering, which makes this initiative by Burger King all the more important," Tom Szaky, TerraCycle and Loop CEO, said in the release. "This enables Burger King consumers to easily bring reusability into their daily lives, and whether they choose to eat-in or takeaway, they will be able to get some of their favorite food and drinks in a reusable containter."

Also through Burger King's Loop partnership, it is collaborating with Kraft-Heinz and other companies for insights, expertise and resources to augment the pilots and boost their impact.

Burger King said in order to support the sustainable production of packaging materials, all of its guest packaging will be sourced from renewable, recycled or certified sources by 2025. The brand has also pledged to improve waste diversion, with a commitment to recycle guest packaging in all of its U.S. and Canadian stores by 2025, as well.

Burger King, which is based in Miami, Florida, has more than 18,800 locations in more than 100 countries and U.S. territories.




©2025 Networld Media Group, LLC. All rights reserved.
b'S2-NEW'
Cart