Case Study for Agency
03-1014859-120

McDonald's Corporation

Background
McDonald's was being attacked by environmental activists who objected
to the company's packaging and waste management practices and
threatened a consumer boycott.

Strategy
Through substantive environmental initiatives, establish and gain
recognition for the Corporation's environmental efforts including solid
waste reduction, reuse and recycling.

Through these actions demonstrate that McDonald's is a leader among
environmentally responsible businesses.

Use McDonald's visibility as a success factor.

Implementation
We conceived and implemented "McRecycle USA" - a McDonald's initiative
to spend at least 100 million a year on recycled products of all
kinds. This made them the biggest single market in the world for
recycled products and materials for use in the construction, remodeling
and equipping of its restaurants in the United States.

We also facilitated a McDonald's partnership with the Environmental
Defense Fund on the development of a waste management and packaging
strategy - the first collaboratioon between a major corporation and a
national environmental group.

Results
McDonald's is now identified by the public as one of the top two
environmentally responsible corporations in the nation, according to an
Ad Age survey. McRecycle USA has been hailed as a bold and meaningful
action to open the markets for recycled materials. We operate the
McRecycle USA Registry for McDonald's and thousands of manufacturers
and suppliers have called to register their products for consideration
by McDonald's.

The President's Council on Environmental Quality, and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency endorsed the program. McDonald's
McRecycle USA has been featured in TV, radio, newspapers and magazines
across the country. Moreover, McDonald's has created a much—need data
bank of suppliers and manufacturers of recycled products that it freely
shares with other organizations. With the McRecycle USA program in
place, McDonald's is now well-positioned as one of the leading
corporations working to find solutions for the nation's solid waste
dilemma.

We and McDonald's were awarded the Silver Anvil Award from the Public
Relations Society of America for the nation's best institutional
program by business.