McDonald's McFlurry Drops Plastic Lid for Four-Flap Paper Cup | Packaging World

Paper flaps around the paper-based cup's neck will serve as a closure, replacing the plastic lid and reducing single-use plastic to advance McDonald's sustainability goals.

Last month, McDonald’s unveiled its new Mini McFlurry for consumers conscious of portion sizes, and a packaging shift came along for the ride. The foodservice goliath says that it’s stepping up its commitment to sustainability by phasing out plastic McFlurry cup lids. Both the Mini and Regular McFlurry will now be served in what stakeholders say is a more environmentally friendly, paper-based, four-flap cup. The move will help reduce waste and advance McDonald’s goal of sourcing 100% of primary guest packaging from renewable, recycled or certified materials by the end of 2025. As of the end of 2023, McDonald’s reported that it was nearly 87% of the way to reaching its goal.

“Packaging updates like this matter,” Michael Gonda, SVP, chief impact officer of North America for McDonald's says. “Not only is this a fun new way for our U.S. fans to enjoy the McFlurry; we're also moving one step closer to fulfilling our packaging and waste commitments.”

This recent move comes on the heels of another sustainability-minded McFlurry swap. Late last year, McDonalds dropped the dual-purpose mixing spindle and spoon, opting instead for a durable, washable, reusable spindle for back-of-house McFlurry prep. Consumers are now given the same small, black spoon that is used for other iced cream products.

“This small change will help reduce single-use plastic waste in restaurants while giving customers the same delicious McFlurry they know and love,” the company says.

Given the huge volumes in which McDonald’s operates, small changes compound quickly. The four-flap paperboard cups are also available in several other international markets, including Canada and Indonesia.