McDonald’s Anti-littering Efforts: How Norway & the UK are Helping to Clean Up Communities

In 1982, McDonald's UK was the first restaurant company to introduce "litter patrols," in which employees went out every day to collect litter within each restaurant's vicinity.

This small act has become a standard practice in the UK, with teams going out three times a day to cover 150 meters around the restaurant to keep the local area clean and tidy. Many UK restaurants also work within their communities to identify hotspots outside the restaurant's area to expand clean-up efforts. Overall, teams walk an estimated 3,000 miles per week doing litter patrols.

Anti-littering efforts contribute to McDonald's UK's Plan for Change platform, which maps out ambitions to help lead change across four key areas - People, Planet, Restaurants and Food. As part of this efforts, McDonald's UK identified Plan for Change Champions, or restaurant crew members who go above and beyond to advance sustainability and anti-littering efforts. One such hero is Claire Thompson from the Upper Gornal restaurant. Claire organized a large-scale litter pick in 2023, engaging volunteers from her community and local government officials. She also ran a six-week workshop in collaboration with a local secondary school, arranging for students to join weekly litter picks, fostering a sense of community and impacting positive change.