McDonalds Waste to Power Buildings
By admin on Sep 20, 2007 in Recycling, Featured, Environment
Eleven McDonald’s restaurants in South Yorkshire are taking part in a new recycling scheme to use waste generated from the restaurants as a source of energy. During the scheme refuse will be collected from the restaurants, treated at a state-of-the-art energy recovery facility and converted into electricity and heat.
The electricity and heating generated from the refuse will be used to power 130 buildings in South Yorkshire, including Sheffield City Hall, Weston Park Hospital, Lyceum theatre, Millennium Galleries and the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre.
McDonald’s have claimed that the scheme would prevent 100 tonnes of waste being sent to landfill each year from each participating restaurant. Although much of the waste generated from these restaurants could be recycled, such as the cardboard packaging, it is virtually impossible for them to ensure that all food waste is completely removed from the packaging. As a result of this many recycling contractors will refuse to recycle waste from such premises, leaving landfill the only option.
If successful this scheme will be implemented in McDonald’s restaurants across the UK. This will not only prevent a huge amount of waste from ending up in landfill, it will also generate a huge amount of recycled energy. If other large food chains such as Burger King and KFC were to follow suit, it would make it easier for smaller take aways and restaurants to also get involved, which would make a massive contribution to reducing landfill and CO2 emissions.
Jason Pereira | Oct 2, 2007 | Reply
Think of the amount of waste McDonalds must produce, as each meal comes with a bag, packet (for fries) and paper wrapping/styrofoam box for the burger. Them recycling their waste should make it better for all of us
Omar Malik | Oct 30, 2007 | Reply
This is definitely good news. But I wonder if it will actually be implemented as the cost for such a waste-to-energy recycling plant is enormous. The question is already put by Mc Donalds themself “if the scheme gets successful…”