A former McDonald's employee highlighted the complicated world of food waste, sparking a conversation about the operations of the Golden Arches.
What's happening?
Posting to the r/MildlyInteresting subreddit, they shared a photo of a form titled "Waste Sheet."
At the end of shifts, employees filled out itemized waste-tracking forms. They include sections for breakfast, regular menu items, and desserts, with entries to document the quantity of discarded items.
The assumption, confirmed later by the original poster, was that this was illustrative of lots of food waste.
"It was always so crazy to me that we had to throw everything in the garbage," a former fast food worker said. "... So waste is better than minimum wage taking home garbage food."
"I always hated throwing it away too," the OP replied. A different poster said they simply ignored the rules and gave away food.
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There was an interesting collection of opinions on the practice. Some posters argued that if the food wasn't tossed, workers would intentionally produce too much food. That way, they could take home free food.
Others harped on the importance of food safety, potential litigation, and food regulations. A seasoned poster defended the bean-counting and said that if used properly, it could reduce waste, control costs, and assure higher quality.
Why is fast food waste important?
Food waste is especially frustrating as food insecurity remains a major issue worldwide. The numerous logistical hurdles to donating don't make it feel any better that we can't connect this surplus food with those in need.
The other part of the issue is that once fast food is thrown in the trash, it doesn't simply go away. Instead, food loss and waste account for 8%-10% of global pollution, per United Nations Climate Change.
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Set strict regulations 🚫 That's not even accounting for the wasted supplies, transportation, and resources that go into the excess food that ends up in a landfill.
Is McDonald's doing anything about this?
McDonald's corporate website states that it follows a global food disposition policy to reduce food waste. It's a little unclear what the specifics of this are.
Before food reaches the restaurant, McDonald's has tapped into its supply chains to cut down on waste, like after COVID-19 struck. In 2023, it donated over 1.5 million pounds of food and paper from suppliers to communities and local food banks.
The company does have some other eco-friendly initiatives, like composting efforts, as shown in its Chicago headquarters. McDonald's said that by 2023, nearly 90% of locations in "markets with advanced infrastructure" allowed visitors to compost and recycle packaging.
Still, their actions on food waste aren't very clear.
What's being done about restaurant food waste more broadly?
Addressing food waste is complex, as food safety must be ensured before donation. Companies like Too Good To Go can help restaurants divert excess food while it's still safe to eat.
As the Redditors suggested, McDonald's can do its part by ensuring that it's optimizing operations and not creating a ton of extra food.
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