New Double-Wall Fiber cup achieves company sustainability milestone, increases cost savings and enhances customer perceptions.
McDonald’s sought to overhaul its foam coffee cups based on customer insights and a need to align supplier practices with sustainability goals.
McDonald’s tapped HAVI to initiate, manage and implement the conversion of McDonald’s foam cup to a renewable resource with the optimized double-wall fiber hot cup. The cup also had to be cost-effective and easily deployed to more than 14,000 restaurants in the United States. Recognizing the gold-standard of the FSC® certification, and influence of the trademark and organizational reach of the label, HAVI also managed the phase-in of the FSC® certified board and subsequently included the graphic on the hot cup.
The resulting cup aligns with brand demand for sustainable products as well as consumer expectations for quality and corporate responsibility. The redesign promotes environmental sustainability and highlights McDonald’s FSC® certification and sustainable practices.
The new cup design provides the environmental and customer benefits with a cost-neutral impact. There has been a reduction in material use and freight cost due to packing capabilities since the redesign due to materials’ increased insulation, eliminating the need for a sleeve.
Packaging redesign in the U.S. has led to the elimination of 5.8 million pounds of packaging waste, surpassing the initial goal of 5.2 million pounds.