McDonald's

McDonald's is providing industry leadership and actively seeking alternatives to HFC refrigerants in our restaurant refrigeration equipment. Our goal is to find viable alternatives that are better for the environment, safe, economically viable and meet our high operational standards.

Commitment

• McDonald's is committed to a HFC-free future.
• McDonald’s will implement a non-HFC purchasing policy for our refrigeration equipment - in all countries where commercially and environmentally viable alternatives can be legally used.
• McDonald's will continue to exchange knowledge and expertise with industry technology leaders, NGO's, and regulatory agencies.
  

Status

Danish Technical Institute (DTI) Energy Study (1 year) of HFC-free restaurant (Vejle, Denmark) learning:

• Average 12% less energy use
• Average 27% less TEWI (13% direct and 14% indirect contribution)
• Over 15 years (average lifetime of a restaurant), McDonald’s can reduce emissions by 378 tons of CO2 equivalents per average restaurant, based on the results from Vejle (sum of direct and indirect contribution) or 25 tons of CO2 equivalents less per year per average restaurant. 
  

Actions to date

• Continued research and development plan with our suppliers to concentrate on the HVAC, walk-in cooler, and the shake and sundae machine. These consume 97% of the energy of the ten pieces tracked in the pilot program.
• We are working with our suppliers to find alternatives for all other remaining equipment.
• Translate conclusions into purchasing policy on local, regional, and global level, depending on readiness of suppliers, equipment and our markets.
• Finalising development of HC meat freezer (2 per restaurant), currently undergoing business approval process for deployment in Europe.