BURGER King has announced it has become the first quick-service-restaurant corporation in the UK to trial a new range of reusable and returnable packaging for its burgers and sides.
The pilot launch has been created with re-use platform, Loop, and will see the fast-food chain try out the first ever reusable burger container or ‘clamshell’. The new range also features a reusable cup.
The trial, which will be rolling out across five restaurants in Ipswich and Newmarket, will be monitored by Burger King UK, with customer response used to inform future plans for a long-term packaging scheme.
The announcement forms part of Burger King UK’s plans to reduce carbon emissions, with a target of 41% reduction in value chain emissions per restaurant by 2030, and 0% single-use plastic by 2025.
The pilot will run until September 5. To take part in the scheme, customers will have the option to pay a £1 deposit for a reusable cup or container. They can choose 10 Burger King UK products to be served in the Loop packaging including a range of sides, such as the Chilli Cheese Bites (six or nine pieces), as well as burgers like the Whopper and Crispy Chicken.
When customers return the cup or container, they can do so by downloading the Loop app, scanning the barcode on either product and returning it into a Loop bin. These bins will be placed outside selected restaurants where the trials are taking place, as well as in other locations found via the Loop app.
Customers who return their cups or containers will be refunded their deposit, with all returned items then being cleaned using Loop’s cleaning system, which has been designed to sanitise each product before reuse and then put back into the cycle.
Nicola Pierce from Burger King UK said, “We’re delighted to unveil a trial range of reusable and returnable packaging for our restaurants. The launch of the new packaging from Burger King UK will include the first ever re-usable and returnable ‘clamshell’ for burgers and sides in the UK.
“We’re excited to see how the trial performs over the next five months and help us reach our goal of eliminating single-use plastic within our restaurants by 2025.”
Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle and Loop, added, “The partnership between Loop and Burger King UK enables customers in selected UK restaurants a simple and convenient way to trial re-usable packaging when ordering their favourite burgers, sides and drinks. Consumer demand for more sustainable options is at an all-time high and the customer response to this exciting trial will be used to inform future plans for a long-term re-usable and returnable packaging scheme.”
