McDonald's sets aside RM60 mln for green initiatives

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 (Bernama) – McDonald’s Malaysia has set aside RM60 million to procure energy efficient (EE) and renewable energy (RE) equipment for its 200 restaurants over the next five years.

As of 2019, the quick-service restaurant chain has 54 restaurants equipped with EE and RE equipment, with investment value totalling RM11.5 million, while up to 124 restaurants have already implemented at least one of the green initiatives that the company has committed to.

McDonald’s Malaysia currently has more than 280 restaurants nationwide.

“As a company and brand with an extensive global footprint, we have a responsibility to do our part for people and the environment.

“We aim to use our scale for good strategy to achieve this objective while helping the nation meet its commitment to reducing the country’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,” managing director and local operating partner of McDonald’s Malaysia Azmir Jaafar said in a statement.

He said McDonald’s is working towards ensuring that 100 per cent of its restaurants are fitted accordingly with EE and RE equipment.

Azmir said McDonald’s Malaysia’s first full-fledged sustainable drive-through restaurant in Setia Alam is a model restaurant with sustainable features that have enabled operational savings for the company.

Key green features at the restaurant, which will also be installed in stages for all McDonald’s outlets nationwide, include a roofing system integrated with solar photovoltaic, thermal solar water heater, rainwater harvesting system, solar LED street lights and hybrid air-conditioning system.

Other sustainable features that can be seen at McDonald’s restaurants include green wall, low VOC paint, energy monitoring system, and the use of RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil.

McDonald’s Malaysia has also introduced waste segregation practices in all its restaurants nationwide to instil the habit of recycling among crew members, while also reducing the cost of processing waste.

In addition, it has managed to reduce 400 tonnes of carbon dioxide year-to-date through its green technology solutions. This translates to RM300,000 savings in energy bills.

-- BERNAMA