KFC vows to cut its plastic waste

Cleaning up the plastic in the ocean

KFC is joining other well-known brands in vowing to cut out plastic waste.  The fast-food chicken chain on Thursday said that all its plastic packaging, including straws, plastic bags, cutlery and lids, will be recoverable or reusable by 2025.

“As a global brand that operates more than 22,000 restaurants in over 135 countries, KFC is in a position to have a real impact on how the industry approaches waste and packaging management overall,” KFC CEO Tony Lowings said in a statement. 

About 8 million metric tons of plastic waste ends up in the world’s oceans each year, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The UK non-profit, which focuses on sustainable growth. forecasts there will be more plastic than fish in the sea by 2050.

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Companies against plastic

A slew of companies have introduced sustainability initiatives in recents years, and others are following suit. 

KFC’s move comes a day after Walmart Canada said it would curb plastic bag use by 2025, removing roughly 1 billion bags from circulation and introducing paper alternatives to plastic straws by 2020.

In another initiative, PepsiCo is among roughly two dozen consumer companies participating in a program unveiled Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos that offers products in reusable packaging that can be returned to the store for a refund.

Categories: Business

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