Have fast-food chains in Singapore become more sustainable after ditching straws?

It started with a heart-wrenching video of a sea turtle with a straw stuck in its nose.

That video, filmed by German marine biologist Christine Figgener in 2015, went viral and galvanised a global anti-straw movement.

Over the next few years, cities the world over began contemplating a ban on plastic straws. Fast-food and coffee chains took it upon themselves to implement voluntary bans.

By the end of 2018, at least two fast-food giants in Singapore – KFC and Burger King – had banned straws, along with Starbucks, the biggest coffee chain in Singapore and the world. McDonald’s followed suit later.

Five years on, ahead of Earth Day on Saturday (Apr 22), CNA speaks to sustainability advocates about where fast-food chains are at in their journey to reduce waste.

McDonald's Singapore said cutting back on packaging and food waste is a “complex challenge that requires collaboration across the entire supply chain”.

Besides cutting out straws and replacing them with strawless lids, the fast-food giant said it has done away with sauce packets – customers now help themselves at a condiments bar – and switched to recycled paper for napkins, bags, cups and cartons.

“We are constantly working with our suppliers to explore new and innovative ways to reduce waste, while taking in customer feedback before implementing them at our restaurants,” a McDonald’s spokesperson said.

The fast-food chain has also pledged to have every Happy Meal toy made from renewable, recycled or certified materials by the end of 2025.

KFC Singapore told CNA it has taken steps over the years to reduce packaging waste, such as switching from paper boxes to reusable baskets for dine-in customers. It also launched a pilot with Singapore-based sustainable packaging firm TRIA last year to recycle dine-in packaging and food waste. The trial has since ended.

Burger King Singapore stopped providing straws and lids for cold drinks in October 2018, although it said then that customers can still ask for them at the counter.

Emails sent to Burger King requesting information about other sustainability efforts went unanswered.

COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS

Fast-food brands are driven towards green initiatives if these could bring down costs, industry watchers said.

Evidence indicates that the companies’ eco-friendly moves have helped reduce carbon footprint, Dr Michael Schaper, a 2022 visiting fellow at Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, said in a joint response with Mr Jason Gehrke, director of the Franchise Advisory Centre in Brisbane.

“(But) brands are primarily motivated to introduce sustainability initiatives if these can be done at the same or a lower cost than existing practices," they said.

Dr Schaper and Mr Gehrke noted that initiatives were implemented on a country by country basis, possibly in response to local regulation and community sentiment, as well as operational reasons such as local suppliers and existing packaging inventory.

"Singaporean consumers are increasingly showing a strong interest in sustainable products and services, which is leading many Singapore-based chains to include environmental and sustainability issues in their product mix," they said.

But with the popularity of food delivery and takeaway in Singapore, it is difficult to reduce the use of plastic and paper bags, said Mr Alphonsus Tan, the assistant programme chair for Republic Polytechnic's Diploma in Consumer Behaviour and Research.

The amount of packaging that fast-food outlets go through daily also means it is hard to come up with good waste solutions, non-profit organisation Zero Waste SG said.

Switching to sustainable materials also does not make a big difference if the packaging is still discarded, said its executive director Tan Hui Leng.

"In Singapore where all waste is incinerated, throwing away a paper bag is generating a piece of trash as much as throwing away a plastic bag is.

"It may also be useful to consider if the type of material is fit for purpose. If say a paper bag is unable to hold liquid, sauce or oily food, customers request for a plastic bag (to put) the paper bag in, which defeats the aim of cutting waste."

Similarly, food containers made of recyclable material may not even be recycled as facilities do not accept items contaminated by food, said Ms Tan.

WHAT ELSE BRANDS CAN DO

Efforts that turn packaging with food waste into fertiliser, such as the KFC pilot, are a good start, said Republic Polytechnic's Mr Tan.

Some brands like Canadian Pizza are also reducing their use of materials. The chain last week launched pizza boxes designed by TRIA, which have carrier handles and can be stacked without the use of extra material.

The pizza chain, which has 19 outlets in Singapore, is also exploring the use of biodegradable and compostable packaging.

Mr Gehrke and Dr Schaper suggested that fast-food companies provide waste separation in their outlets, with collection points that encourage customers to dispose their waste accordingly.

Another way to reduce waste is to allow customers to say no easily to things they do not need, said Zero Waste SG's Ms Tan.

"For example, napkins and cutlery especially for take-out that is eaten at home or for food that people typically use their hands for, or even Happy Meal toys. The default can be that none of these are given out unless the customer specifically requests for them."

Fast-food chains can also put out information about the carbon footprint of certain food or packaging so that consumers can make informed choices, she added.

Simple things like serving dine-in meals on plates that can be washed – like in hawker centres – are sensible sustainability initiatives, but would require fundamental operational changes for many brands, said Dr Schaper and Mr Gehrke.

"Less waste and more recycling is essential in such a small and densely populated country,” they said.

As fast-food brands continue to grow, potentially at the expense of smaller, independent and less packaging-dependent rivals, it is essential that they further minimise their environmental impact."