One-third of investors in Yum! Brands and Restaurant Brands International (RBI) support the exploration of reusable packaging, an advocacy group says.
The companies are parent companies to companies to KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King and others, and the votes are the result of shareholder resolutions filed by the advocacy group As You Sow at Yum! Brands and RBI annual meetings, according to a news release. The resolutions by As You Sow urged the companies to report on “evaluating how to dramatically reduce the amount of plastic used in packaging through transition to reusable alternatives to reduce risks related to plastic pollution,” the release said.
As You Sow withdrew a similar proposal at McDonald’s Corp. earlier this year after the company pledged to produce the requested report.
The reusables resolution received the support of 36.9% of investors at Yum! Brands, parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell, representing more than $10.6 billion in shares, the release said. At RBI, the parent company of Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes, the resolution received 36.8% overall vote, representing more than $10.2 billion in shares, according to the release.
This display of support for reusables by investors also comes amid anti-reusables advocacy by corporations to the proposed revisions to the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, the release said.
The European waste directive proposes 10% reusable containers and 20% reusable beverage packaging in restaurants and cafes by 2030 and greater amounts by 2040, according to the release.
“Companies must end the debate on if reusables should become part of permanent operations and start talking about how reusable operations will be implemented,” Kelly McBee, circular economy senior coordinator at As You Sow, said in the release. “We expect McDonald’s to take this productive approach in their report, anticipated in Q2 2024, and urge Yum! Brands and RBI to take similar proactive measures following this strong call by investors to transition packaging from disposables to reusables.”
Reusable packaging is that which is designed to be durable and refillable as part of a circular economy whereby resources are kept in use as long as possible to promote resource sustainability and regeneration. Reusables are identified in the groundbreaking Breaking the Plastic Wave report as one of eight complementary interventions that must be implemented to achieve an 80% cut in plastic, according to the release.