EXCLUSIVE: McDonald's Says French Diktat On Reusable Packaging Brings 'Operational And Financial Challenges'

Fast-food giant McDonald’s MCD says new French law prohibiting using disposables in restaurants would bring operational and financial challenges for the industry. 

What Happened: France is readying to impose a new law that would soon ban fast-food eateries in the European nation to be able to use disposable containers, plates, cups and tableware for clients eating in the restaurant — the latest measure from a 2020 law to combat waste and encourage recycling.

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McDonald’s told Benzinga in a statement, "The mandatory implementation of reusables as the only solution comes with significant operational and financial challenges for our business and the entire industry." 

The fast-food giant added that it is testing reusable packaging in France to ensure compliance with imminent local legislation, adding, "There still needs to be more evidence to prove reusable solutions’ acceptance by customers, environmental impacts and effectiveness in practice."

France's move to ban disposables also drew massive criticism from the European Paper Packaging Alliance, which argued that making and washing durable items consumes more energy and water, defeating the purpose of the environmental cause.

Earlier, a McDonald’s manager in France had told AFP that they had to remodel the kitchen to cope with the new requirements.

"Everything that was in cardboard is now in reusable plastic. We had to rethink everything in the kitchen, separate take-out from on-site orders, create new storage space," said McDonald's manager Maria Varela in the Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret.

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