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# Plastic-Free Fast Food Concepts
'Better McDonald's' is Introducing Wooden Spoons & Edible Cups

By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2019-09-10 | Eco
Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/better-mcdonalds
References: [foodandwine](https://www.foodandwine.com/news/mcdonalds-plastic-free-store-experiment) & [news.mcdonalds](https://news.mcdonalds.com/scale_for_good_berlin_pasticfree_mcdexperiment)

For a limited time in June, those who visited the McDonald's location inside the Mall of Berlin—a concept called The Better McDonald's Store—had the chance to experience an eco-friendly experience from the fast food company. The restaurant served only burgers in grass-based packaging and McFlurries with wooden spoons at the plastic-free pop-up concept. As well as seeing plastic-free packaging and wooden cutlery, visitors were familiarized with paper straws, [condiments and sauces in edible cups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/holy-carp-packaging) and Chicken McNuggets served in paper bags.

On-site, McDonald's was able to test out a variety of waste-reducing alternatives to single-use plastic and receive valuable customer feedback on its efforts. With The Better McDonald's Store, Diana Wicht, the [Sustainability Department Head](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/carbonneutral-ecommerce) for [McDonald's Germany](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vegan-qsr-frozen-treats), states: "Normally, McDonald's goes out with perfect solutions. This time we said, 'We don't have perfect solutions yet… please help us!"

## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter)

- Score: 6.8/10
- Popularity: 98% | Activity: 99% | Freshness: 8%
- Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women
- Primary generations: Millennial
- Top markets: Europe

## Categories

[Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco)

## Key Themes

### What's Driving This Trend

- **Eco-friendly Packaging:** The trend of eco-friendly packaging presents opportunities for companies to develop alternatives to single-use plastic and reduce waste.
- **Wooden Cutlery:** The use of wooden cutlery offers a disruptive innovation opportunity for businesses to provide sustainable options for utensils.
- **Edible Packaging:** The concept of edible packaging opens up possibilities for companies to create sustainable and unique packaging solutions that reduce waste.

### Who This Affects Most

- **Fast Food:** Fast food chains have the chance to embrace eco-friendly packaging and cutlery options to reduce plastic waste and improve sustainability.
- **Food Packaging:** The food packaging industry can explore the development of innovative materials and designs that are eco-friendly and can be consumed.
- **Sustainability:** The push for sustainability in various industries creates opportunities for companies to develop and promote products and practices that reduce environmental impact.

## Related on Trend Hunter

- [Sustainable QSR Dessert Packaging](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcflurry-packaging.md)
- [Eco-Friendly QSR Coffee Lids](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tim-hortons-2.md)
- [Sustainable QSR Litter Adverts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonalds-malta.md)
- [Edible Ice Cream Spoons](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ice-cream-spoons.md)
- [Net-Zero Carbon Fast-Food Restaurants](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/netzero-restaurant.md)
- [Folding Fountain Drink Cups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fountain-drink-cups.md)
- [Reusable Fast-Food Packages](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/reusable-fast-food-packaging.md)
- [Edible Ice Cream Spoons](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ministop-edible-spoon.md)
- [Take-Out Box Tables](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tablebag.md)