McDonald’s France incorporates RFID technology for new reusable containers

FRANCE – McDonald’s France has partnered with Checkpoint Systems to implement food-safe RFID technology into its new reusable containers – a move hoped to keep track of the packaging, optimize the restaurant’s reusable system, and reduce waste.

The latest move comes after the French government imposed a countrywide ban on the use and circulation of disposable tableware.

This French legislation, which aims to combat the waste crisis and preserve natural resources, came into effect in January this year.

The announcement is also in line with the global fast-food giant’s commitment to eliminate unnecessary packaging waste from its business to further contribute to the enhancement of recycling systems.

Checkpoint France RFID sales director Julien Thibult said: “With the new French legislation that came at the beginning of this year, the sector’s players faced a unique challenge.

“Europe is tasked with achieving a circular economy within the next decade and getting there will pose a number of operational obstacles.”

Checkpoint was first selected by McDonald’s France in 2021, after a two-year-long extensive consultation process, to work on a project that involved the installation of RFID hardware and software in restaurants across the country.

The product consultations and laboratory tests enabled Checkpoint to develop a food-safe, heat- and water-resistant RFID solution, which can be used with cups, bottles, and fries containers, among other tableware.  

According to Checkpoint, this project helped McDonald’s minimize waste while delivering real-time visibility of reusable tableware stock levels.

It also helped the fast-food company in delivering fast inventory management capabilities for optimizing replenishment and to keep its stock lines protected for long-term security.

The solution can also help restaurants in pinpointing the location of nearby containers, to check in case a container was discarded into a waste bin, thereby reducing the risk of shrinkage.

So far, Checkpoint’s RFID solutions have been provided to more than 1,200 McDonald’s France restaurants.

Checkpoint France business unit director Frederic Boukara added: “As such, we have provided an RFID solution to meet the demands of McDonald’s France, not only enabling it to improve its supply chain operations and visibility but future-proofing the brand’s business with the environment in mind.”

The development is part of McDonald’s efforts to reduce packaging waste. As of 2021, the retailer says that approximately 82.7% of its primary packaging materials, and 96.8%1 of its primary fiber packaging came from recycled or certified sources, aiming for 100% certified, recycled or renewable materials by the end of 2025.

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