McDonald’s is all set to lend a helping hand in the struggle against global warming as it is has announced to use its cooking oil as biodiesel for its various UK delivery vehicles.
By 2008, the fast-food chain plans to run all its 155 vehicles on biodiesel that will be made from the cooking oil used in chips and chicken nuggets in its restaurants. The fuel will be made from a combination of cooking oil and rapeseed oil. The firm expects saving 78 per cent carbon every year this way.
McDonald’s has been long criticized over its environmental image as it used animals and even harmful refrigerants in its preparations. A campaign led by Greenpeace also forced it to stop using soya from newly deforested land in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil
Recently in an eco-friendly move it has begun selling Rainforest Alliance certified coffee in its UK restaurants.
The firm is “delighted” to use its bulk of cooking oil to a practical and efficient use in its own business. Its senior vice president Matthew Howe said:
This is a great example of how businesses can work together to help the environment.
The food chain is also working on other projects of recycling and packaging to reduce its carbon emissions. Moreover McDonald’s is committed to work with its suppliers to reduce the use of pure rapeseed oil in its production processes.
The US company had recently switched Austrian fleets to biodiesel that is recycled from its cooking oil.
Source: BBC
