Sponsored By

Burger King tests green packaging at 51 Miami-area unitsBurger King tests green packaging at 51 Miami-area units

Pilot program addresses eight of its most-used ‘guest-facing’ items — from forks to napkins

Ron Ruggless, Senior Editor

May 4, 2021

1 Min Read
Burger King Eco Packaging Pilot Miami
Some of the new sustainable products that Burger King is testing at 51 units in the Miami area.Photos courtesy of Burger King

Burger King is testing new green packaging in 51-unit Miami-area pilot program, the company said Monday.

The division of Toronto-based Restaurant Brands International Inc. is launching the program with eight of its most-used guest-facing items: forks, spoons, knives, straws, drink lids, fry pods, Whopper wrappers and napkins.

“By piloting solutions in restaurants, the brand is able to get direct feedback from guests on how the packages perform, make iterative changes with its supplier and build an implementation road map for the system,” a spokesperson said.

Burger_King_Updated_BK_Loop_Rendering_4.30.21.gif

Burger King is testing new green packaging in 51-unit Miami-area pilot program, the company said Monday.

Among the packaging to be tested at company-owned restaurants the alternatives include fry pods made with renewable unbleached virgin paperboard, cutlery made with cPLA (a plant-based plastic) and napkins made with 100% recycled fiber.

“Upon completion of the pilot test, BK will take the learnings and guest feedback to inform plans for nationwide sustainable packaging in the next year,” the spokesperson said.

The brand is also continuing to develop its global partnership with Loop to reduce single-use packaging through reusables. That program was announced last October.

Burger King is looking to include two new cities, Paris and London, in addition to the earlier announced target cities of New York, Tokyo and Portland, Ore.

Related:Burger King to test use of reusable Whopper containers and cups to reduce waste

Burger King is also partnering with The Coca-Cola Co. and Kraft Heinz to bring sustainability initiatives to life.

“Leveraging their combined size and resources, the brands will work together to provide insights, packaging expertise and resources on these pilots, helping to maximize future national potential,” a spokesperson said.

As of March 31, Burger King had 18,691 restaurants worldwide.

Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected]

Follow him on Twitter: @RonRuggless

About the Author

Ron Ruggless

Senior Editor, Nation’s Restaurant News / Restaurant Hospitality

Ron Ruggless serves as a senior editor for Informa Connect’s Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN.com) and Restaurant Hospitality (Restaurant-Hospitality.com) online and print platforms. He joined NRN in 1992 after working 10 years in various roles at the Dallas Times Herald newspaper, including restaurant critic, assistant business editor, food editor and lifestyle editor. He also edited several printings of the Zagat Dining Guide for Dallas-Fort Worth, and his articles and photographs have appeared in Food & Wine, Food Network and Self magazines. 

Ron Ruggless’ areas of expertise include foodservice mergers, acquisitions, operations, supply chain, research and development and marketing. 

Ron Ruggless is a frequent moderator and panelist at industry events ranging from the Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators (MUFSO) conference to RestaurantSpaces, the Council of Hospitality and Restaurant Trainers, the National Restaurant Association’s Marketing Executives Group, local restaurant associations and the Horeca Professional Expo in Madrid, Spain.

Ron Ruggless’ experience:

Regional and Senior Editor, Informa Connect’s Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality (1992 to present)

Features Editor – Dallas Times Herald (1989-1991)

Restaurant Critic and Food Editor – Dallas Times Herald (1987-1988)

Editing Roles – Dallas Times Herald (1982-1987)

Editing Roles – Charlotte (N.C.) Observer (1980-1982)

Editing Roles – Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald (1978-1980)

Email: [email protected]

Social media:

Twitter@RonRuggless

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ronruggless

Instagram: @RonRuggless

TikTok: @RonRuggless

 

Subscribe Nation's Restaurant News Newsletters
Get the latest breaking news in the industry, analysis, research, recipes, consumer trends, the latest products and more.