McDonald's switches from plastic to wooden cutlery in sustainability push

If you've dined at McDonald's recently and ordered their Big Breakfast, hotcakes or cup corn, you may have noticed that the cutlery is a little different. 

This is because the fast food giant has switched out its plastic forks, spoons and knives for eco-friendly wooden ones instead. 

Calling it "the great retirement", McDonald's shared in a press release on Tuesday (Jan 21) that the change was part of their sustainability journey. 

"While saying goodbye to plastic cutlery feels like the end of an era, our customers can continue to enjoy their favourite breakfast platters and desserts with new wooden utensils that are kinder to the planet," said Benjamin Boh, managing director of McDonald's Singapore. 

The announcement was also shared in an Instagram post on the McDonald's Singapore account.

The phased rollout began in October 2024 and was finally completed in December 2024. 

"The shift to wooden cutlery is expected to eliminate approximately 26 million plastic cutlery or 250,000 kilograms (equivalent to 125 electric cars) of plastic waste annually, reinforcing McDonald's broader sustainability efforts," shared the fast food chain. 

Apart from switching out plastic cutlery to wooden ones, McDonald's introduced strawless cup lids back in 2021. This eliminated around 57 million plastic straws annually. 

Last year, they also transitioned to paper packaging for salads and to bio-based, renewable lining for some of their food wrappers. 

This isn't the final sustainability move by McDonald's. 

They shared that they have several more initiatives in the pipeline for 2025, which are aligned with the Singapore Green Plan 2030. 

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melissateo@asiaone.com