Please sign this petition to show your full support of the campaign to ask McDonald’s to stop serving plastic bags for customers who buy take-out drinks. This is a challenge for them to both save money, and our planet.

McDonald’s is sometimes considered one of the companies that is most willing to make environmental improvements for the benefit of the communities it serves. The company has its own environmental strategy policy, and is often proud of the steps it has taken. It is also worth remembering that when a big company does make positive changes, it can really make a large-scale difference, because of the scope of their changes can reach across so many countries.

However, over the past five to six years, McDonald’s Asia has been providing single plastic bags for drinks. Often these drink bags are given for products consumed on-site, because they do not ask the customer if a bag is needed. In 2010, McDonald’s produced 48,750,000 lbs. (22,159 tons) of waste in China alone. Assuming 1/3 of that waste is plastic, McDonald’s China produced approximately 16,087,500 lbs. (7,312 tons) per year. That would cover half of Hong Kong Island in one meter or material! Not all of this is plastic bags, but the bags bring an excessive amount of unnecessary waste for a product, which is already packaged in a cup. This use of bags for cups also is in direct conflict with McDonald’s company values regarding sustainable waste management and the environment.

These bags not only create a negative impact on the environment, but also degrade McDonald’s strong brand image, which has been built over decades. To make matters worse, McDonald’s is also giving a bad reputation to Coca Cola, since Coke is the drink most synonymous with purchases at McDonald’s. By packaging their product in extra waste, it also puts a bad name on the brand inside the packaging. When children think of turtles and wildlife being impacted by bags, they also may think twice about buying that Coke, since the Coke now comes in an unnecessary plastic bag.

Aren’t these plastic bags a huge waste for both the company and the environment? It is very unlikely that people will decide not to consume a drink, simply because a bag is not provided. The perceived “marketing or sales” advantages do not outweigh the negative impacts they created, including brand reputation and waste of spending.

We challenge McDonald’s to save money and help improve the environment that we all live in. It is not too late to make a change, and if they act for tomorrow now, they can make a huge difference for our living environment, and the future of next generation!

THE SOONER WE ACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT, THE BETTER.

Please sign to support this petition and help us to spread the word!

Here is the link for our campaign video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBJad9xlGCg