Wendy’s enlists Berry and LyondellBasell for recyclable plastic drinking cups

20 Oct 2021 --- Wendy’s is partnering with Berry Global and LyondellBasell to transition a selection of the fast-food restaurant’s plastic-lined paper cups to single-substrate, clear plastic cups for drinks. The clear plastic cups offer a more recyclable alternative to the plastic-lined paper cups’ “limited recyclability.”

Based on a mass balance approach, the new cups will use 20% ISCC-certified, recycled plastic across all North American restaurants. Wendy’s says this level of circularity represents a quick-service restaurant industry first, while there is potential to increase the amount of recycled plastic.

The launch will take place in US and Canadian restaurants in early 2022 with an initial set of large cups using recycled plastic. All drink cups will use recycled plastic in 2023. This “first step” is estimated to divert 10 million pounds of waste from landfills over the first two years. Wendy’s aims to “sustainably source” 100% of its customer-facing packaging by 2026.

“Consumers are increasingly aware of the impact of single-use waste, and we want to do our part as a leader in the quick-service restaurant industry to provide more sustainable options,” says Liliana Esposito, Wendy’s chief corporate affairs and sustainability officer.

Berry and LyondellBasell team up
Berry and LyondellBasell – both members of the American Chemistry Council and Alliance to End Plastic Waste – teamed up to produce the more circular cups. LyondellBasell will supply the advanced recycled resin to Berry for conversion into single-substrate, clear plastic cups.

“Partnering with leading brands that actively pursue opportunities to promote innovative packaging solutions is key to accelerating a circular economy,” notes Tom Salmon, Berry Global’s chairman and CEO.Wendy’s clear plastic cups offer a more recyclable alternative to the plastic-lined paper cups.

“There are many benefits to plastics, including convenience,” adds Bob Patel, LyondellBasell’s CEO. “The issue we must address is plastic waste.”

Mass balance approach
Berry and LyondellBasell have entered into a long-term supply agreement for ISCC PLUS-certified, advanced recycled feedstock resins. Mass balance enables recycled plastic to be mixed with virgin plastic and processed in the same place, helping reduce scale-up costs and accelerate the transition to circular raw materials.

“The initiative between LyondellBasell, Berry Global and Wendy’s is a demonstration of how the entire value chain can work together to develop end-to-end solutions addressing plastic waste,” says Jacob Duer, president and CEO of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste.

“While more can be done to enable closed-loop solutions across more states and areas, it is through industry partnerships such as this that we will ultimately achieve increased recyclability across our waste streams.”

Fast-food’s environmental focus
In 2019, Wendy’s became a Supporting Partner of the NextGen Consortium, an industry-wide collaboration convened by Closed Loop Partners. The initiative aims to accelerate and scale commercially viable, circular foodservice packaging solutions, including reuse systems and packaging recovery infrastructure.

Fast-food giants are increasingly exploring more environmentally sustainable packaging models to connect with the enlarging eco-conscious consumer base. For example, McDonald’s will recycle paper cups into toilet paper in Germany and introduce wooden stir sticks and cutlery and paper straws in Canada.

In related news, California announced a ban on PFAS in paper-based packaging from 2023. Also, Huhtamaki highlighted a study finding quick-service reusable packaging more environmentally damaging than single-use fiber solutions.

Edited by Joshua Poole