During the last time that my family and I had breakfast at McDonald’s, I noticed that they were already serving their food in environmentally friendly reusable plates (more like lunchboxes for food items with sauces), coffee cups, and French fries holders.
McDonald’s Reduce Single-Use Plastics
We were quite amused by these items because they looked cute, and I liked how they appealed to my kids, especially to Rafa, who thought the fries holder and the coffee cup looked like kitchen toys. We were even joking that we’d like to sneak the items out of the restaurant, but we were just trying to be funny (and expressing our admiration for the cute objects).
We don’t want the restaurant to pay for missing items that are not even their fault. So, don’t even think of quietly slipping these tablewares into your bags for your personal use. For one, oil can be hard to wash off plastic; as such, let that be a word of caution. That being said, I hope McDonald’s would also be more mindful in upholding the cleanliness of those plastic items.
On a grander scale, the effort can significantly contribute to the reduction of single-use plastics. it’s just reassuring to think that we’ve already come a long way in terms of environmental protection.
I remember when fast food chains used to heavily use Styrofoam plates (I do admit that I miss the sound of it, but that's just it), plastic straws, and cups. While they were reminders of my nostalgic youth, I’m happy that we’re switching more to reusable items. They’re still made of plastic, but at least they can be used multiple times.
On a further note, I’m wondering if this initiative is on a nationwide scale? I know that there are cities (like Quezon City) that have banned single-use plastic; thus, this project might be implemented only in those cities.
I’m also curious about what other restaurants are doing, although I’m confident that they have similar initiatives. I have seen the takeout boxes of Jollibee for gravy, and if my memory serves me right, they have also opted for paper gravy containers.
At the end of the day, we just want a good future for our children and the next generation, in general, for them to enjoy a healthy and livable environment.
