Holcim, McDonald’s partner for sustainability

MANILA, Philippines —  ‘Cement maker Holcim Philippines Inc. has teamed up with McDonald’s Philippines to support the quick service restaurant’s sustainability practices.

In a statement yesterday, Holcim Philippines said the sustainability partnership with McDonald’s Philippines to further raise decarbonization and circularity of operations, was signed last June 26.

As part of the partnership, Holcim Philippines and McDonald’s Philippines are working together on sustainable waste management through Geocycle, which converts qualified materials into alternative fuels and raw materials to be used for cement production.

The parties also plan to work together in expanding the network of McDonald’s Green and Good stores, which are built and operated with significantly lower environmental footprint.

In addition, the parties will explore building solutions that have a lower carbon footprint and virgin raw material components to further improve the environmental performance of McDonald’s Green and Good stores.

Launched in 2021, McDonald’s Green and Good stores use green-building solutions like recycled steel building frames and eco-pavers and bricks partially made from shredded plastics to reduce the use of virgin natural resources.

These stores also have more sustainable power consumption through the use of solar panels, LED (light-emitting diode) lights, smart air-conditioning systems, low-power water heaters and heat-reflective glass panels.

Holcim Philippines, meanwhile, offers sustainable building solutions like its low-carbon blended cement ECOPlanet.

The company is expanding its green offerings by including aggregates recycled from demolished concrete, aerated blocks that use less materials and permeable concrete for rainwater harvesting systems.

Through Geocycle, Holcim Philippines is among the pioneers of co-processing.

“We look forward to working with Holcim as we scale our Green and Good program. Together with partners like Holcim which continuously innovate to be better for the planet, we’ll be able to learn and integrate solutions as we grow and open more new stores. With every action that we take for the environment, we’re planting the seeds for a greener and more sustainable future,” McDonald’s Philippines president and CEO Kenneth Yang said.

“A big thanks to McDonald’s for trusting Holcim to be its partner in expanding its Green and Good store network and further elevating the sustainability performance of these outlets. We are excited to see this partnership further drive our organizations’ sustainability performance and positive impact on the environment,” Holcim Philippines president and CEO Horia Adrian said.