It has been known for some time that diesel engines can also run on cooking oil, but McDonald’s is now giving it a new twist, along with its partners Neste and Havi. In the Netherlands, the circle is full – Neste makes HVO out of the cooking oil used for French fries, which Havi puts into the tanks of their trucks, which in turn distributes for the “Mac”.
“Recycling used cooking oil is a common practice in many of our markets, but in the UK, Switzerland and the Netherlands we are working to close the loop and create a circular cooking oil solution,” McDonald’s explains on its website.
“At McDonald’s, we want to use our global scale to help accelerate the circular economy, which is a key driver of our packaging and recycling strategy. However, we know that true recycling goes far beyond just our packaging. We are focused on closing the loop by using more recycled materials. In packaging, restaurants and facilities – and that includes the cooking oil we use.”
Holland has a perfect job. “In the Netherlands, we have teamed up with our main logistics partner, Havi, and Neste, the world’s largest supplier of renewable diesel, to recycle used cooking oil from french fries to Neste MY Renewable Diesel. In a true circular spirit, this renewable fuel will be used in Havi trucks, which It will return products to McDonald’s restaurants. Through this project, we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions within logistics by up to 90 percent over the life cycle of the fuel compared to fossil diesel, promoting cleaner transportation,” McDonald’s said. In 2021 alone, McDonald’s in the Netherlands processed nearly 1,000 tons of used cooking oil into renewable biodiesel.
There is a similar initiative in the UK, where McDonald’s has converted used cooking oil into biofuels through Oliko, a supplier of renewable fuels. This goes to the transport company Martin Brower, to refuel the trucks that carry leftovers from our kitchens. “And that’s not all. This food waste is converted into gas and electricity by Oliko, part of which is supplied to the neighboring dairy company Arla, which supplies all our organic milk in the UK. The milk they produce, along with other supplies, is delivered to Restaurants powered by biodiesel trucks. The circuit continues. We are constantly looking for new ways to drive the circular economy, and as part of our packaging and recycling strategy, we are focused on finding a wide range of initiatives to reduce our use of packaging, move to more sustainable materials and help McDonald’s said:
