McDonald's
4260 Nobel Dr. (UTC)
5065 Clairemont Dr. (Clairemont)
1121 Garnet Ave. (PB)
and a million other places...
SGSD has boycotted McDonald's, the biggest, baddest conglomerate around, for over a decade. (Middle-of-nowhere pee stops don't count.) With their Big Macs and styrofoam containers, the Golden Arches have long been a symbol of everything wrong with "Fat America". Okay, so they ditched the styrofoam ages ago, but as McDonald's pushes hard to pull a 180 with their image over the last couple of years, suddenly we're starting to notice. First there was the addition of new, healthier, menu options. Now they're reinventing themselves as a Starbucks competitor and, as rumor has it, even smoothies will be added soon. So, given other options, this blogger will probably still choose the one that's not McDonalds, but it might be time to ask...does McDonald's deserve our business again?
GOOD: Check out McDonald's commitment to the environment at their corporate website. McDonald's Switzerland recycles polyethylene packaging, newspapers, and light bulbs. In Australia, Brazil, and Europe, McDonald's has an active biodiesel recycling program. McDonald's Japan is testing the feasibility of collecting and recycling paper cups. McDonald's Sweden and Canada have their buns and Coca-Cola delivered in reusable plastic containers. To combat climate change, McDonald's Denmark has one restaurant totally free of hydrofluorocarbon-based refrigerants.
BAD: Sounds good for Europe. Not so much for McDonald's US. What gives? All this talk of "environmental sustainability" and "feasibility studies" tends to sound like a lot of fancy PR. And here's another thing: on a recent car trip bathroom break, GreenSD noticed a new sign on the door warning that coffee will only be served in McDonald's own disposable coffee cups. No personal reusable mugs allowed. What the heck? Must be more lawsuit paranoia.
BONUS: All suppliers (think beef farmers, vegetable growers, etc.) sign a "social accountability" agreement, receive training, and are inspected by third party monitors to assure their employees are treated fairly. After years of flack for making America fat, McDonald's now pushes "healthy lifestyles" by updating their menu, providing nutrition information, and even giving out pedometers in a special adult Happy Meal. In a local twist, McDonald's gave The Scripps Research Institute (La Jolla) $2 million in 2006 to research childhood obesity and Type II diabetes. Plus they still have clean toilets. And if you live in the Carmel Valley/Del Mar area, you get the extra treat of having a "Gourmet Bistro" McDonald's. No joke. They sell gelato.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Sorry, I have yet to get over the guilt and buy something worth recommending.
BOTTOM LINE: 2 Stars **
For effort. It's about time Big Business recognizes that consumers want environmentally sustainable and healthy products and services. Hopefully we'll start seeing more action and less talk from McDonald's, especially in the U.S.
4260 Nobel Dr. (UTC)
5065 Clairemont Dr. (Clairemont)
1121 Garnet Ave. (PB)
and a million other places...
SGSD has boycotted McDonald's, the biggest, baddest conglomerate around, for over a decade. (Middle-of-nowhere pee stops don't count.) With their Big Macs and styrofoam containers, the Golden Arches have long been a symbol of everything wrong with "Fat America". Okay, so they ditched the styrofoam ages ago, but as McDonald's pushes hard to pull a 180 with their image over the last couple of years, suddenly we're starting to notice. First there was the addition of new, healthier, menu options. Now they're reinventing themselves as a Starbucks competitor and, as rumor has it, even smoothies will be added soon. So, given other options, this blogger will probably still choose the one that's not McDonalds, but it might be time to ask...does McDonald's deserve our business again?
GOOD: Check out McDonald's commitment to the environment at their corporate website. McDonald's Switzerland recycles polyethylene packaging, newspapers, and light bulbs. In Australia, Brazil, and Europe, McDonald's has an active biodiesel recycling program. McDonald's Japan is testing the feasibility of collecting and recycling paper cups. McDonald's Sweden and Canada have their buns and Coca-Cola delivered in reusable plastic containers. To combat climate change, McDonald's Denmark has one restaurant totally free of hydrofluorocarbon-based refrigerants.
BAD: Sounds good for Europe. Not so much for McDonald's US. What gives? All this talk of "environmental sustainability" and "feasibility studies" tends to sound like a lot of fancy PR. And here's another thing: on a recent car trip bathroom break, GreenSD noticed a new sign on the door warning that coffee will only be served in McDonald's own disposable coffee cups. No personal reusable mugs allowed. What the heck? Must be more lawsuit paranoia.
BONUS: All suppliers (think beef farmers, vegetable growers, etc.) sign a "social accountability" agreement, receive training, and are inspected by third party monitors to assure their employees are treated fairly. After years of flack for making America fat, McDonald's now pushes "healthy lifestyles" by updating their menu, providing nutrition information, and even giving out pedometers in a special adult Happy Meal. In a local twist, McDonald's gave The Scripps Research Institute (La Jolla) $2 million in 2006 to research childhood obesity and Type II diabetes. Plus they still have clean toilets. And if you live in the Carmel Valley/Del Mar area, you get the extra treat of having a "Gourmet Bistro" McDonald's. No joke. They sell gelato.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Sorry, I have yet to get over the guilt and buy something worth recommending.
BOTTOM LINE: 2 Stars **
For effort. It's about time Big Business recognizes that consumers want environmentally sustainable and healthy products and services. Hopefully we'll start seeing more action and less talk from McDonald's, especially in the U.S.
1 comment:
Update: MickeyD's new iced coffee is delicious, though huge, and they STILL USE STYROFOAM. Go figure.
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