Burger King to trial re-usable packaging for burgers and sides

Burger King has become the first quick-service-restaurant in the UK to introduce a range of re-usable packaging for burgers and sides.

Five sites in Ipswich and Newmarket, Suffolk, have been chosen to trial the packaging between 26 April and 5 September.

Customer responses to the trial will be monitored by Burger King UK, who collaborated with the global re-use platform Loop for the design and distribution of the burger container, dubbed the ‘clamshell’.

This comes after the fast food brand announced plans to reduce carbon emissions, setting the aim of a 41% reduction in emissions per restaurant by 2030 and the eradication of single-use plastic by 2025.

To take part, customers have to pay a £1 deposit for a re-usable cup or container, which can hold any of the ten Burger King UK products on offer, such as the Whopper or the Crispy Chicken. Those who return the packaging will be refunded their deposit.

Nicola Pierce from Burger King UK said: “We’re delighted to unveil a trial range of re-usable and returnable packaging for our restaurants. The launch of the new packaging from Burger King UK will include the first ever re-usable and returnable ‘clamshell’ for burgers and sides in the UK. We’re excited to see how the trial performs over the next five months and help us reach our goal of eliminating single-use plastic within our restaurants by 2025.”

Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle and Loop said: “The partnership between Loop and Burger King UK enables customers in selected UK restaurants a simple and convenient way to trial re-usable packaging when ordering their favourite burgers, sides and drinks. Consumer demand for more sustainable options is at an all-time high and the customer response to this exciting trial will be used to inform future plans for a long-term re-usable and returnable packaging scheme.”

This comes after Burger King UK announced its plans to open a further 200 UK restaurants by 2026.

Image Credit: TerraCycle and Loop Europe