McDonald’s to trial reusable cups

McDonald’s has announced global plans to test a new reusable cup model for hot drinks.

TerraCycle’s circular packaging service, Loop, will be trialed in 2021 across select McDonald’s restaurants in the UK.

Customers will pay a small deposit, which can then be redeemed by returning the cup to participating McDonald’s UK restaurants to be safely washed through the system and reused again.

Loop’s cleaning systems have been developed in partnership with Ecolab to hygienically sanitize each item, making it as safe and hygienic as single-use cups.

TerraCycle and Loop CEO, Tom Szaky said the “ground-breaking” partnership paves the way for reusables to become an accessible option for consumers.

Almost all of McDonald’s restaurants across the UK now have recycling units for hot and cold paper cups. The paper cups are sent to specialist recycling centres where the plastic lining is removed from the fibre, which is then recycled into new products.