 McDonald’s is actively trying to reduce their negative impact on the environment by altering their company policies. Their policy now outlines not only the individual restaurants’ behaviors, but also the ways in which they go about using their resources and acquiring them. Since the 1990’s, McDonald’s restaurants have been encouraged to participate in the environmentally friendly movement by getting involved in community clean up days to cut down on the amount of litter around their stores. They have made an effort, assisted by Environmental Defense, to utilize recycling both in packaging their products and in what they use day to day which has allowed them to cut down on their waste significantly [18]. They have been acclaimed by Energy Star [19] for their extensive effort to decrease the amount of energy they use per restaurant through by utilizing more energy efficient appliances [20]. Despite environmental groups like Greenpeace’s protests to the chain’s rainforest depleting beef suppliers [21], their policies state that they will not purchase beef made from cows raised on rainforest that has been deforested. McDonald’s continues to be environmentally conscious in their business and they are currently testing a restaurant that will potentially give off less harmful pollutants by using alternatives to harmful refrigerants[22].
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