McDonald's breaks ground for 1,000th restaurant in Australia
The new restaurant will incorporate recycled content and also utilise renewable energy.
McDonald’s has started to build its 1000th restaurant in Australia, reaching a new milestone in the company’s near-50 year history.
In an announcement, the fast food giant said the franchised restaurant in Melton South, Victoria will be a “sustainability flagship site” designed to “showcase McDonald’s commitment to continuing to trial and implement a range of innovative renewable, recycling and sustainable energy, building materials and restaurant practices.”
The outlet will incorporate recycled content in the building, infrastructure and furnishings whilst being completely powered by renewable energy, including solar energy sourced from panels installed on the building roof.
A reverse logistics pick-up system for segregated waste streams will also be used, a first for the chain in Australia. The chain’s latest packaging innovations including fibre-based cutlery, stirrers and straws, will also be utilised.
During construction, McDonald’s said it expects to engage more than 100 tradespeople throughout the various stages of the build, with the completed restaurant set to provide new employment opportunities for approximately 100 locals from the Melton area once it opens later in the year.
“As our first sustainability flagship, the Melton South restaurant will play a vital role in allowing us to continue to test, evaluate and implement industry-leading sustainable innovations. McDonald’s Australia has always been committed to using our scale for good to positively improve the way we work and to support our customers and community,” McDonald’s Australia senior director of development Josh Bannister said.
