While fast food companies may not be seen as "green," restaurants are beginning to make efforts to help out the environment according to DailyFinance.
Although their foods may lead to heart disease and weight gain and their trucks use millions of gallons of gas a year, McDonalds and Starbucks are taking initiatives to make their products safer for the environment.
Restaurants like Chipotle have already taken the step to help go green by using solar cells and hyper-efficient plumbing to cut down on carbon output says DailyFinance.
Other restaurants have implemented recycling bins and have begun segregating trash to ensure waste is made available to be composted.
However, one of the main environmental waste contributors is the packaging. McDonalds, as DailyFinance points out, used to pack "billions and billions of burgers into petroleum-based Styrofoam containers."
Starbucks is equally as guilty. They have used "Styrofoam cups, plastic lids and cardboard sleeves," according to DailyFinance. All in all, that's around eight ounces of paper to go along with the other chemicals present.
After years of destroying the environment, it seems as though McDonalds and Starbucks are finally ready to go green.
"For the past few years, the two companies have been working on improving their sourcing, cutting down on their packaging, and lobbying the FDA to increase the amount of recycled fibers that are allowed in fast food packaging," according to the FDA.
Starbucks has begun implementing reusable cups for $1 a piece. The cups last for a month and cut down on paper waste and costs all around for both company and consumer.
Other chains, such as Just Salad, based out of New York, have started implementing reusable salad bowls. When customers bring them back, they are offered free toppings as a reward.
