Should companies like McDonalds be responsible for the waste they produce and the damge they cause?

Question

I am not an anti McDonalds consumer.

But it bugs me everytime I see the imediate effect their overpackaging has on the local environment.

So why are the local councils not fining McDonalds for the litter?

Yes the consumer should put the waste in a bin but it is obvious where it came from its got a Golden Arch on the side of the box.

Take Newbury services at Tothill. An absolute wasteground of rubbish not less than 100m from the offending McDonalds.

Answer 1

Why are McDonads at fault?

They don't open the door and throw rubbish outside on the floor.

WE, the public are responsible for the litter, we are all capable of putting it in a bin, there simply is no excuse.

You cannot justify throwing rubbish on the floor just because there was no bin in sight.

We are also responsible in that money talks, we spend millions and millions in fast food outlets and yet if we stopped, if we insisted they don't use the packaging as they do now then they would change it.

If every single McDonalds in the country was completely empty from 9am tomorrow, if not one penny was handed over the counter untill they changed then i would guarentee that by the end of next week it would have.

Want to fine someone?

Fine the man in the street a thousand pounds if they drop litter, lets then see how long it carries on for.

Whatever the litter, this is the fault of us, the public, there are probably a million waste bins in the country alone and i'm sure we're all able to hold onto it until we find one, even if it means taking it home.

Answer 2

Last time I was in MacDonalds I got my burger in a paper wrapper, chips in a little bag and drink in a plastic cup.

How exactly could they wrap it in less. The day the start saying 'open you jacket pocket and i'll pour your coke in' is the day I stop going.

Answer 3

I am not sticking up for the purveyors of slop McCrap but apparently the do have to pay extra in there business rates to cover the litter collection.  But I do agree that they shouldn't over-package in the first place.

Answer 4

its not mickey d's fault you are pigs...got to go after the litterbugs

Answer 5

Never mind putting the packaging in the bin, its the waste they produce that they put inside the packaging, that should be binned

I find that the pacjaging actually tastes nicer and is better for you than the complete rubbish it contains

Answer 6

you said it - 'the consumer should put their waste in the bins provided'...which they dont!

we ALL have to be responsible ... not just McDonalds.

Answer 7

Yes McDonalds and other producers of waste should made to pay for the FULL cost of:

collecting;

treating & storing waste in land fill sites

and of restoring the environment

As well as costs the production of fatty & sugary item in the box impose on society - health costs for obesity & early death

Climate change as the Amazon is destroyed (releasing more CO2 into the air) for temporary grazing for cows (major source of the much more harmful Green House gas - Methane) so that McDonalds etc can use our money to buy the support of  Policy makers.

The people who litter the streets should be fined at least 3x the cost of cleaning up the mess as they are a symptom of the problems caused by the obsession with instant gratification in the vain hope they can obtain happiness.

Happiness can not come from getting the latest "cool" thing

because Happiness is a feeling that comes from within You.

So if you want to learn  2beHappy visit PhilipAllen.SuccessUniversity.com/new

Answer 8

Yes they should have responsibility and of course so should the people dropping it. Its hard to police of course, which is why a better solution is to instill in people a desire not to live in a pigsty, for some reason this is hard in Enlgand, especially around urban areas, why is another question.

Answer 9

I think your anger is misplaced.

If I ran McDonalds, I would provide the minimum amount of packaging I absolutely needed.  They don't wrap a hamburger in a two foot sheet of paper, do they?  Like any business, they try to minimize their costs.  They wrap that hamburger in as small a sheet of paper as they think is necessary.

I think you should be angry about consumers who don't bother to throw the paper away properly.

Answer 10

I think all of us has responsibility in throwing garbages in their proper places. McDonald's, the government and the public should act together in order to solve the problem

Answer 11

Yes-why so much packaging? Maybe they'd be better investing in their own recycling programme. The amount of waste is criminal.

Answer 12

There is only one simple answer to this question.

This answer applies to all fast food resturaunts.

No more drive throughs or take out.

Answer 13

Im not for mcdonalds because I found a big black hair in my big mac last week and I am blonde needless to say I was nearly sick in front of around 30 people in this very busy mcdonalds. Anyway back to the question in hand I think NO because to be fair on mcdonalds they know this is happening and had all there packaging changed to be more enviro friendly so if not picked up it can decompose.

Answer 14

Why not fine the people who throw their litter everywhere. The public have responsibilities too!

Answer 15

the people should put the trash in a bin.  I think that the people should be responsible disposing their trash properly.

Answer 16

I have been saying for many years that the word Litter should be changed to Mitter.  To reflect the fact that nearly all the rubbish laying around in major cities has a big golden letter M on it.

Answer 17

Agree but i think that its up to the governement to start telling all companies not just Mcdonalds to cut back on the totally unnecessary packaging. And fining them when they don't comply.

Answer 18

Of course they should.

If they utilise something, they must be ready to consider all its aspects. if you're going to use massive amounts of non-recyclable material, then expect it to be your responsibility.

Answer 19

Technically companies are responsible for the waste they produce either directly or indirectly (as packaging). However it's a European Directive and some countries enact it more than others. Most of mainland Europe enact it properly. In the UK we don't enact it much at all, therefore companies like macdonalds get away with gross overpackaging. A point of note is that under the European Waste Packaging Directive you can remove packaging at the site of purchase and give it to the company to dispose of and legally they have to accept it and dispose of it correctly. If they try to refuse it you can call your local trading standards, environmental health/protection officer and waste officer and get them investigated. They don't like this at all.

Answer 20

Yes they should be responsible but the government should bring in laws to restrict the amount of packaging but they will not do that because the people who make them will have to close down and put people out of work, so it's a case of profit over reality. Take away company's need to take the initiative and cut down themselves. I recently bought something called a munch box from an Asian take away and all the contents were just in the box this was about 8 different food items and it still looked well presented to me. To give some take away providers credit I have seen their employers picking up the mess left by their customers, maybe if you had to eat in would help or if the price was increased for take out it would make people eat in. Have you also noticed the kids meals come with plastic toys that get thrown away after a week or so, this is plastic that is just going to land fill. They have a lot to answer for!!