McDonald’s UAE marks 22m kms fuelled by biodiesel, reducing CO2 emissions in supply trucks

McDonald’s Biodiesel programme in partnership with Neutral Fuels converts used cooking oil from restaurants into 100% biodiesel

McDonald's UAE is pleased to announce the latest milestone of its biodiesel programme, which gets used cooking oil from their restaurants converted to 100 per cent biodiesel to fuel their supply trucks.

To date, McDonald’s UAE’s supply trucks have travelled 22 million kilometres on pure biodiesel, saving 25 million kilograms of carbon dioxide and related greenhouse gasses - equivalent to the weight of 170,702 tyres recycled.

McDonald's UAE reduces its CO2 emissions through the biodiesel programme with Neutral Fuels, compared to driving on regular petro-diesel.

The biodiesel programme, launched in 2011, stems from a partnership between McDonald's UAE and Neutral Fuels aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of the brand's restaurants.

It also enhances a sustainable circular economy for the restaurant chain. More than eight million litres of used cooking oil have been converted into biodiesel, which has exponentially reduced McDonald's UAE carbon footprint.

In fact, the impact of its recycling so far is the same as:

- Recycling 75 million plastic bags

- Recycling 170,702 car tyres

- Planting 412,097 tree seedlings grown for 10 years

- 8,624 tonnes of waste recycled instead of being sent to landfill

Commenting on the milestone, Walid Fakih, CEO at McDonald's UAE, said: "Focusing on the environment is key for us at McDonald's UAE. We are glad to work on this programme with Neutral Fuels which helped us reduce the amount of carbon emissions, and we will continue to promote sustainable and regenerative practices - for communities today and in the future."

To find out more about McDonald’s UAE and the biodiesel programme, visit our website https://www.mcdonalds.com/ae/biodiesel-initiative.html

About McDonald’s UAE:

Operating since 1994, McDonald's UAE today has more than 190 restaurants servicing customers in many areas. McDonald’s UAE is committed to the quality of the products it serves at each restaurant and also maintains an active social responsibility agenda.

In an ongoing effort to contribute to the well-being of the communities and highlight the continuous environmental benefits of their actions, McDonald’s UAE and Emirates Environmental Group joined forces in spreading green values among the UAE’s children by planting trees across the nation as part of their ‘Planting a Greener Future’ campaign.

McDonald’s UAE also significantly reduced its carbon footprint since the launch of its biodiesel programme in July 2011. Every drop of McDonald’s used vegetable oil is collected from its restaurants across the UAE and converted into 100% biodiesel which is used to fuel the company’s logistics fleet.

In addition, McDonald’s UAE prides itself on being a local member of the community and has been committed to being a responsible corporate citizen since the first restaurant opened in the UAE back in 1994.

For further information about McDonald’s UAE please visit: www.mcdonalds.com or contact: Varsha Muckatira or Salwa Attiga from Weber Shandwick on [e-mail] or [phone]