In June this year, McDonald’s Portugal introduced a new uniform to nearly 10,000 employees who proudly wear the M on their chests. But what happened to the old uniform? Old green polo shirts and worn brown trousers have been fitted with shoulder straps to further reinforce the brand’s commitment to the round shape. 18,000 uniforms collected from all restaurants in the country have been recycled and turned into more than five thousand 100% recycled bags for delivery to the Ronald McDonald Children’s Foundation and for use, among others, as part of hygiene and comfort welcome kits.
“Hygiene and Comfort Welcome Packs are given to families who stay overnight in the hospital, accompanying their sick children. purchase,” says Marta Amaro, Communications Manager at McDonald’s Portugal. This donation will allow the Ronald McDonald Children’s Foundation, McDonald’s largest social project, to guarantee delivery of kits to families with children in the pediatric hospital for at least one year.
project in numbers
• 18 thousand old uniforms
• 7 stages of processing
• 5,500 bags recycled in 2022.
• Support for 7 hospitals
The kits have been delivered to seven hospitals supported by this Ronald McDonald Children’s Fund project. These are the D. Estefania Hospital, the Santa Marta Hospital, the Santa Maria Hospital and the Prof. Dutor Fernando Fonseca Hospital in Lisbon, the São João Hospital and IPO in Porto, and the Pediatric Hospital of Coimbra. “This year alone, the Foundation has already delivered over 3,500 kits to these hospitals,” the brand says.
From collection to handbag production
Turning uniforms into bags doesn’t seem like an easy task. This project of environmental responsibility with a strong aspect of solidarity was only possible thanks to McDonald’s National Partner Networkjoining the brand’s longtime suppliers with a new Portuguese partner.
HAVI was involved as a logistics operator in the collection of uniforms throughout the country from more than 190 restaurants, and Recutex became the new Portuguese partner responsible for uniform recycling. The HR group, a longtime supplier of the brand, produced recycled bags in 2008, also responsible for the production of new and old uniforms.
“So far, McDonald’s has invested about 17,000 euros in the recycling of old uniforms. We find it necessary to invest in these projects in order to reduce our presence within our operations,” explains Marta Amaro, Communications Manager at McDonald’s. Portugal.
Recycle your uniform step by step
In total, the transformation process consists of seven stages. After uniforms are collected, sorting begins, during which elements such as buttons, zippers and prints are manually removed. Only then are the different fabrics of the old uniforms blended to produce recycled fiber and then incorporated with recycled polyester.
From this process of rotation 100% recycled yarn, without any dyeing, which, during the weaving process, turns into a new fabric, completely made in Portugal. This is followed by the production of recycled bags with this fabric and, finally, the supply of new bags to the Ronald McDonald Children’s Foundation to compile hygiene and comfort welcome kits.
Through a process entirely carried out in Portugal, McDonald’s is thus implementing another circular economy project with environmental and social impactturning potential textile waste into very special bags made from 100% recycled materials.
Reduce, recycle and, where possible, reuse
The truth is that a focus on circularity is nothing new for McDonald’s, which developed and implemented a waste vegetable oil management system more than a decade ago that ensures 100% selective collection of this waste. The waste oils are later used to make biodiesel, and proceeds from the sale of this waste are donated to the Ronald McDonald Children’s Fund to support project continuity.
mcdonalds commitment
• Giving back to the community
• Recycling and the circular economy
• Contribution to the national economy
Going forward, McDonald’s Portugal’s communications department ensures that the brand’s goal is to continue to invest in sustainability projects. “At McDonald’s, we strive to be good neighbors wherever we are, not only by giving time and resources to those who need them most, but by caring, preserving and creating a more sustainable story for current and future communities,” he concludes. . Martha Amaro.
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Sandra Hansen, a news website Author and Reporter for 24 News Reporters. I have over 7 years of experience in the journalism field, with an extensive background in politics and political science. My passion is to tell stories that are important to people around the globe and to engage readers with compelling content.