McDonald’s, the world’s largest restaurant company, has announced two new goals focused on packaging and recycling that it plans to meet by 2025 in each of its 37,000 restaurants.

First, the company hopes to make 100 percent of its customer packaging out of renewable, recycled, or certified sources, up from 50 percent today. This goal dovetails with McDonald’s previous promise to stop using packaging that contributes to deforestation by 2020, which is currently on track at 64 percent deforestation-free, according to CNN.

Second, the company plans to provide access to recycling in all of its locations, up from only 10 percent of them today. Many regions in which McDonald’s operates do not currently have recycling infrastructure, meaning that this pledge could have a significant impact in changing how waste is dealt with in communities globally.

The sourcing of materials is just one part of sustainability with packaging. Their new approach addresses both ends of the life cycle—design, sourcing, and recovery—whereas their prior packaging goal was focused only on sourcing. McDonald’s is working with communities and engaging in partnerships to reach these goals. In markets without recycling infrastructure, they will implement a plan that includes:

  • Establishing a market lead devoted to recycling and packaging efforts
  • Conducting a market assessment of infrastructure and exploring the viability of recycling via backhauling with distribution partners
  • Engaging in conversations and partnerships with NGOs and other companies to advance the dialogue on increasing recycling infrastructure in market
  • And developing a roadmap to establish recycling in restaurants, starting with one packaging item, based on information learned from activities above

Together with their suppliers, franchisees, municipalities, and other industry leaders, McDonald's hopes to affect change and influence action.

Read the full article on McDonald's plan by Michael Peñuelas at Food Tank