McDonald’s Corp has indicated it doesn’t want the reusable containers it had to incorporate in France for dine-in customers due to a law to expand elsewhere, according to The Wall Street Journal.
McDonald’s International Government Relations head Serge Thines told the outlet on Thursday that the company "do[esn’t] want France to be the template because we strongly believe that this doesn’t work" and called it "very problematic."
The French regulation about reusable containers for in-restaurant fast-food diners became effective earlier in 2023. For to-go customers and certain menu items, the company’s typical largely paper packaging can still be used in the country, per the outlet.
McDonald’s has rolled out 21 reusable containers in France, according to The Journal.
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FOX Business reached out to McDonald’s for comment.
Using reusable cups, bowls and other containers on a wider scale would be less environmentally friendly than throwaway packaging in terms of plastic and emissions, the company has reportedly argued.
Proponents of the change have pushed back on that.
McDonald’s has also made customer convenience arguments, per The Journal.
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"We are for recycling, we believe that recycling works," Thines told the outlet.
Some initiatives McDonald’s has pursued include testing cups without plastic and making its paper packaging get recycled more frequently.
The French law comes as two other European countries — Germany and the Netherlands — have previously embraced reusable cups on an upon-request basis with a deposit.
Meanwhile, some other countries in the region are considering legislation related to food containers and their materials, according to The Journal.
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At the end of September, there were nearly 41,200 McDonald’s restaurants around the world. It recently set its sights on reaching a total of 50,000 locations before 2028.
Shares of the Chicago-based fast-food chain have posted an increase of 8.8% from the start of the year as of Monday afternoon.
