A new study of McDonald’s restaurants in Italy provides measurable evidence of how an integrated circular economy model can deliver recycling performance significantly above municipal averages.
Commissioned by Comieco – the Italian National Consortium for the Recovery and Recycling of Cellulose-Based Packaging – and edited by Duccio Bianchi, the research analysed packaging consumption, customer behaviour, waste generation and separate waste collection within the McDonald’s restaurant system in Italy.
Between June and August 2025, researchers carried out 38 product-specific waste analyses, across the 5 different fractions , at seven McDonald’s restaurants in Milan, Baranzate, Parma, Perugia, Rome, Bari and Palermo.
The findings are significant: 84% of waste is separately collected and 67% is correctly directed to its designated recycling stream. Both results are significantly higher than the corresponding Italian figures for household and municipal waste: 84% versus 68% for separate collection and 67% versus 52% for recycling.
Paper Packaging fraction recorded particularly strong results, with up to 87% collected and sent for recycling. These findings provide a real-world example of how material choices can translate into high recycling performance when supported by an effective collection and recycling system.
“What emerges from this research is a concrete and well-established circular economy model,” said Antonio D’Amato, Chairman of Seda International Packaging Group. “Collaboration between industry, technological innovation, foodservice operators, consumers and the recycling value chain shows how used packaging can be transformed into new resources, generating measurable environmental benefits. Within the McDonald’s system analysed, the recycling rate is higher than that recorded for household waste, while the research also highlights a high level of correct waste sorting by customers. This demonstrates that consumers can become an active part of the solution. Education and awareness are therefore essential to improving both the quality and quantity of separate waste collection, including at home.”
A REAL-WORLD TEST OF CIRCULAR ECONOMY PERFORMANCE
The study combines different levels of analysis to assess not only the materials entering the restaurant system, but also what happens to them after use.
In 2024, just under 20,000 metric tons of packaging and service products were consumed within the system analysed. Packaging accounted for approximately 90% of the total, with the remainder consisting of service products such as napkins and straws.
More than 88% of total consumption consisted of cellulose-based products, a share that has increased compared with previous years. Single-cellulose paper and paperboard, including boxes and bags, accounted for 67% of total consumption, while composite paper used for products such as cups and ice-cream containers represented a further 21%. Plastic, mainly bottles, accounted for 7%, and glass for 3%.
All paper packaging used by McDonald’s within the system analysed is produced by Seda International Packaging Group. Looking at the constituent materials, 66.2% of total consumption consists of virgin paper sourced entirely from sustainable forestry, while a further 20.3% consists of recycled paper.
MORE THAN 90% OF CELLULOSE FIBRE RECOVERED FROM PAPER-BASED COMPOSITES
The research also addresses an issue of growing relevance for European food packaging policy: the recyclability of paper-based composite packaging, particularly cups.
These products consist mainly of cellulose combined with thin polyethylene layers required to provide functional performance. Plastic content ranges from approximately 5–6% in single-layer packaging to 8–11% in double-layer packaging, averaging less than 9%.
According to the study, paper-based composites can be processed through standard paper mill pulping cycles, allowing more than 90% of their cellulose fibre to be recovered. They achieve Levels A and B under the Italian Aticelca paper recyclability classification and are compatible with conventional paper mill recycling processes.
The study also provides evidence on food contamination. Paper classified as “contaminated” represents less than 4% on average of the cellulose fraction analysed in separate paper collection from dining and storage areas. Surface stains from sauces and fats, as well as small traces of food, are fully compatible with conventional paper recycling processes.
CONSUMERS AS PART OF THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Consumer behaviour represents another key component of the model.
In June 2025, researchers observed 1,020 tray clearings across 19 McDonald’s restaurants in the province of Milan, analysing how customers separated different waste streams.
Errors were recorded in 11% of tray clearings, with even lower rates for individual items: 4% for cups, 3% for bottles and 2% for organic waste. Ceramics, glass and cans were always separated correctly, as were paper containers.
The findings indicate that simple and intuitive disposal systems can support correct sorting behaviour. The presence of support staff can further reduce errors, highlighting how infrastructure, information and consumer engagement reinforce one another.
Consumers therefore emerge not simply as the final users of packaging, but as an active part of a functioning circular economy.
IMPROVING THE SYSTEM FURTHER
The research also identifies opportunities to increase performance. A critical factor in improving separate waste collection—primarily of paper—is adjusting the collection schedules of the waste collection service. This type of restaurant is characterized by a higher volume of paper packaging to
organic food waste compared to other types of restaurants. To prevent materials from being compacted—and possibly contaminated- and reduce the risk of incorrect waste disposal, the frequency of waste paper collection must be tailored to the volumes produced and the storage capacity of the premises.
A SCALABLE CIRCULAR ECONOMY MODEL
The significance of the findings extends beyond the restaurants analysed.
The research illustrates how packaging designed for recovery, renewable and recyclable materials, informed consumers, efficient collection systems and industrial recycling infrastructure can operate as parts of the same circular model.
“Over the last decades, Europe has built one of the world’s most advanced circular economy models, and Italy is one of its leading examples,” Antonio D’Amato said. “European industry has long been at the forefront of environmental innovation and recycling. The challenge is to continue improving these systems and to use Europe’s technologies, know-how and industrial capabilities to make circularity increasingly effective and scalable. Environmental sustainability and industrial competitiveness can and must advance together.”
The study ultimately shows that the effectiveness of the circular economy depends on the entire value chain. When design, materials, consumer behaviour, collection and industrial recycling work together, waste can become a resource and circularity becomes a measurable and scalable model.