Starbucks is testing a reusable cup program, Taco Bell is making its sauce packets recyclable, and now Burger King is piloting eco-friendly packaging that can keep a whole lot of waste out of landfills. Yep, 2021 has been a pretty solid year on the sustainability front.

We’re all about seeing big companies make sustainable moves, and this fast food giant is the latest to change its ways to better the planet. Burger King recently announced it’s launching a “green packaging pilot program” that involves 51 restaurants in Miami, where its headquarters are located. The plan is to use the customer feedback from this program to prepare for a nationwide rollout within the next year.

So, what can you expect from Burger King’s sustainable packaging? There’s silverware made with cPLA, a type of plant-based plastic made from corn or sugarcane that’s 100 percent biodegradable and compostable. There’s also Frypods made with renewable unbleached virgin paperboard, napkins made with 100 percent recycled fiber.

You’ll notice two new Whopper sandwich wrappers, too, that use 13 percent and 34 percent less paper. According to the press release, that could “translate to an additional 500 to 1,500 metric tons of paper waste eliminated annually across the U.S.”

That’s not all BK has in store. The company is also switching up its drink containers and straws.

“We will also be testing paper and plant-based straws, along with strawless lids, which could potentially eliminate up to 500 million single-use plastic straws annually from participating U.S. Burger King restaurants,” reports Burger King. “This action alone would translate to the removal of 910 metric tons of greenhouse gasses per year—the equivalent of 196 vehicles driven for one year.”

This is a huge move in the right direction for Burger King. It follows its planet-friendly move to introduce the plant-based Impossible Burger to its menus in 2019, as well as its decision to introduce lemongrass into cows’ diets in 2020 to slightly cut down on methane emissions. You know… cow farts.

Here’s the hoping other major fast food companies follow suit. (Looking at you, McDonald’s!)

Fast Food, Sustainability, Sustainable Business