Wendy's Looks to Ditch Single-Use Plastic and Paper

The Wendy’s Co. has reportedly joined the NextGen Consortium, a coalition of food service leaders backed by sustainable consumer goods investment firm Closed Loop Partners, according to Restaurant Business News . The burger chain is in recognizable company, with brands like McDonald’s , Starbucks, and Nestle already looped into NextGen and companies like A&W and KFC heading up similar environmental efforts.

Wendy’s has deemed its own approach to eliminating single-use packaging “Squarely Sustainable,” a play on its signature square burger patties, according to the article. With over 6,700 mostly domestic restaurants, Squarely Sustainable focuses on eliminating unnecessary materials, using more certified sustainable products and identifying helpful customer-facing actions, according to the article.

With sweeping material changes like this, individual franchisees may enjoy dealing with less waste and even cutting costs on unnecessary materials. With so many brands buying into the cause, environmental initiatives may also help with credibility in the modern landscape. “We know that our customers are increasingly aware of packaging waste and its impact on the environment, and they’re already doing their part to be more conscious about their product use and recycling habits,” said Liliana Esposito, chief communications officer at Wendy’s as quoted in the article.

Emily Clouse is a staff writer for 1851 Franchise. Her work has been featured with publications such as The Onion, Reductress, and Chicago Magazine. She graduated from The Ohio State University before running away to join the Peace Corps. In her free time, she enjoys drawing and walking to Jewel-Osco.