Fast food footprint

As you know we have been running a poll about recycling bins at fast food restaurants. So we thought it would be interesting to see just how much rubbish is created by eating one meal at three different fast food restaurants and more importantly how much is currently recycled and how much could be.

This is what we bought..

We went to Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonalds and Burger King and bought one meal at each restaurant. No particular reason why these particular three fast food places other than they were all near each other.

Then we ate the meals, now remember this is about the amount of packaging that can be or is recycled and not the food it self.

Next we placed all the rubbish in one pile - remember this is the result of just 3 meals!

Then we placed all the recyclable rubbish in piles

The piles in picture above are based on our understanding of recyclable.  The only restaurant which labelled its items with recyclable logos was McDonalds although both McDonalds and KFC both had logos saying that they were made from recycled paper (well done). BK did not have these logos although it had the least packaging of the three.

So if fast food restaurants had recycling bins at their establishments we could recycle this much paper and you will be happy to know that we recycled ours.

 So what have we found out?

In conclusion, KFC had the most packaging, BK had the least packaging but McDonalds are trying to educate their customers to recycle - hopefully this in getting ready to place recycling bins at all their restaurants!! (maybe)

And finally, no matter what happens it is down to us to make a difference and even if recycling bins are placed every where it is down to us to use them. This person can't even use the rubbish bins which are already there! This photo was NOT set up.

Extra research

McDonalds - have pilot schemes for recycling bins in their stores (that's one step closer!)

Burger King - have no reference to any packaging policy on their website, rubbish!

KFC - have no company information at all on their website, let alone a packaging policy, double rubbish!

Please note that the information in this blog is representative of our experience based on one trip to the mentioned fast food restaurants in October 2007

Have an opinion on this then vote in our Fast Food Poll.