McDonald's and MBRC: Clean cities on World Cleanup Day!

McDonald's and MBRC: Clean cities on World Cleanup Day!

On September 20, 2025, just in time for World Cleanup Day, McDonald's Germany and the environmental organization MBRC the ocean are sending a strong signal for environmental protection. Together they want to rid the cities of Hamburg, Cologne and Munich of rubbish and educate people about the issue of plastic pollution. A broad campaign aims to mobilize citizens to actively fight for a clean environment. This is what Mercury reports.

Led by Markus Weiß, corporate spokesman for McDonald's Germany, the initiative is considered important in order to actively focus on waste avoidance. Sven Jacobi, the founder of MBRC the ocean, also emphasizes that only through the cooperation and commitment of everyone can a real difference be made in the fight against the flood of plastic. In the collection campaigns, which start near selected McDonald's restaurants, participants are provided with the necessary materials and information and receive a goodie bag as a thank you.

Together for plastic-free beaches

But that's not all: McDonald's Germany and MBRC the ocean have also set themselves the goal of reducing ocean pollution. Around eight million pieces of plastic now end up in our waterways every day, which is a global problem. In a joint podcast entitled “Once Fries for Two”, Sven Jacobi and sustainability blogger Nadine Schubert discuss how each individual can actively contribute to reducing plastic pollution. This informs MBRC the ocean.

As part of the campaign, McDonald's is calling on the public to submit questions about sustainability via the Better M website. For every question submitted, McDonald's will donate one euro to MBRC to raise up to 20,000 euros by October 16, 2023. These funds are intended for the development of a sustainable waste infrastructure in affected countries and for local education measures. Organizing regular beach clean-ups with volunteers worldwide is also part of MBRC's plans.

Sustainability in focus

The initiative is part of McDonald’s broader “Better M” sustainability strategy, which targets packaging reduction, recycling and local anti-littering measures. Over 98% of the company's guest packaging comes from renewable, recycled or certified sources. With the introduction of a reusable deposit system since the end of 2022 and the switch to paper-based packaging for Happy Meal® toys and dessert products, McDonald's wants to further reduce plastic consumption.

The current sustainability strategy is not just lip service - the company works closely with partners such as HAVI and Essity to establish an effective recycling cycle. In this way, the issue of environmental protection is strengthened not only in McDonald's restaurants but also among the general public.

The actions on World Cleanup Day not only offer the opportunity to actively contribute to cleanliness, but also to raise awareness of the central role of environmental protection. With joint effort and commitment, each individual can contribute to preserving our environment.