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cooldavidkentposts · 4 years

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Restaurant 1000 heralds McDonald’s Australia’s sustainable future

McDonald’s Australia has heralded a new era of sustainability by opening its 1000th restaurant as the company’s sustainability flagship for Australia.

As part of the project, WaterGroup has deployed its smart water metering solution into the flagship restaurant, forming one of 25 core sustainability initiatives the restaurant is using to reduce its environmental impact with the aim to test, evaluate and implement industry-leading sustainability innovations into the future.

“At WaterGroup, saving water for our customers is our top priority. We are so proud to assist McDonald’s with our state-of-the-art technology to achieve real savings,” WaterGroup Managing Director Guenter Hauber-Davidson said.

“Leaking pipes, leaky toilets, fixtures, valves or sprinklers are some of the typical causes of abnormally high water use. With our solution in place, the Melton South restaurant can quickly identify when these occur to save water and money.”

McDonald’s Australia National Director of Development Diana Grosmann said, “As a sustainability innovation hub, Restaurant 1000 will play a crucial role in enabling us to continue to design and build commercially practical sustainability solutions into every new Macca’s restaurant in the years to come.”

McDonald’s Australia Director of Supply Chain and Sustainability Kylie Freeland added, “Through collaboration with the franchisee of the restaurant, as well as partners like WaterGroup, we hope that Restaurant 1000 will allow us to learn quickly and expand successful innovation trials that enable us to continue to implement practices, equipment and products to improve our environmental impact.”

WaterGroup’s smart water metering solution comprises a smart NB-IoT-enabled logger that connects to a site’s existing water meter. The data from that meter is then sent to the cloud and is accessible via a client-facing portal. At Melton South they also have WaterGroup’s AWARE service, where the WaterGroup team monitor and alert the restaurant of unusual water usage turning insights into action.

During the 2019 financial year, WaterGroup has delivered measurable outcomes for its clients with water savings of almost 300 million litres and cost savings of more than $1 million.

“We wish the McDonald’s South Melton team great success with their new restaurant and look forward to saving them water and money,” Hauber-Davidson said.

Other sustainability initiatives

Restaurant 1000 customers will be served a series of new packaging items including paper straws, wooden cutlery and paper sundae cups, as McDonald’s Australia continues to phase out all plastic straws and plastic cutlery from its restaurants nationwide. The collective impact of these transitions will remove 860 tonnes of plastic from the McDonald’s system.

The restaurant will also incorporate energy-efficient air-conditioning systems, hydrocarbon equipment and a building monitoring system to help collectively reduce carbon emissions and energy used.

“Over the coming three years we plan to invest more than $500 million to open over 80 new restaurants across Australia, incorporating a range of core sustainability elements from Restaurant 1000, including PlayPlaces made with recycled content and energy-efficient equipment, as well as the use of 100% renewable energy at some restaurants.

“Through partnership with the franchisee of the restaurant, Ben Westover, we hope Restaurant 1000 will allow us to learn quickly and expand successful innovation trials, so we can continue to implement practices, equipment and products to improve our environmental impact,” Grosmann said.

In early 2021, Restaurant 1000 will commence trialling a front-of-house waste recycling system, as the business moves towards achieving its goal of diverting front-of-house waste from landfill. The trial will see front-of-house waste from Restaurant 1000 recycled into carry out bags and wraps packaging.

Full list of sustainability initiatives implemented at Restaurant 1000

Building infrastructure and furnishings incorporating recycled content and natural aggregates.

With the help of Energy Australia, Restaurant 1000 will be powered entirely by renewable energy.

On-site solar panels installed on a custom roof structure over the drive-thru. The entire solar system at the restaurant is expected to generate 42,000 kWh per year.

Families will be able to introduce their children to recycling via a specially designed Happy Meal toy collection bin. Through our reverse logistics system, pre-loved Happy Meal toys will be returned to our distributor before being provided to a third party for recycling.

The PlayPlace equipment utilises old play equipment repurposed into new decks, climbers, slide tubes and window panels — 60% of the entire structure is sourced from old Macca’s play equipment, with the remaining 40% of material being 100% recyclable at end of life.

Carbon-neutral McDelivery via Uber Eats and DoorDash, where carbon credits will be used to offset the emissions from deliveries made from Restaurant 1000 for 12 months.

McDonald’s distributor will act as a consolidation for waste streams such as cardboard, cups, coffee grinds and soft plastics and return these to a central location, creating opportunities for circular economies.

All lighting and signage at Restaurant 1000 utilises LEDs, which use around 80% less energy than neon systems, meaning there’s less strain on the environment and electricity grid. LEDs also don’t include any toxic gases and are cleanly recycled.

The green wall at the entry to Restaurant 1000’s dining room, full of living plants that increase biodiversity, provides insulation and clean the air.

Wheel stops and kerbing throughout the drive-thru and car park are made from recycled cups and plastics. The wheel stops are made only from cups and plastics from McDonald’s restaurants and not only complete the loop for a circular economy, but are more hard-wearing than concrete alternatives.

Two electric vehicle charging stations provided by Evie Networks, and supplied by 100% renewable energy.

A bulk oil supply system that pumps bulk oil directly from the tanker into a plumbed tank in the restaurant, reducing the cardboard and plastic packaging, which would have previously been delivered each week.

Similar to the bulk oil supply system, the restaurant utilises a bulk milk system that will remove the need for approximately 1650 kg of plastic bottles from the restaurant.

Strategically placed sensors will monitor the amount of sunlight shining into the restaurant. If it’s a bright day, the sensors will automatically dim the lights in the dining room to conserve energy.

Hydrocarbon refrigerant equipment will vastly reduce the carbon footprint of the restaurant due to its low Global Warming Potential and Zero Ozone Depleting Potential.

A high-efficiency air-conditioning system that doesn’t generate as much heat and therefore doesn’t force the system to work as hard to cool. This means the air conditioning system is up to 32% more efficient than the minimum BCA-compliant system.

Paper straws, wooden cutlery, paper sundae cups and a new type of wrap that can be composted will all be trialled at the restaurant.

All irrigation on-site will utilise two 5000 L water tanks that collect and harvest rainwater.

Using specialist technology provided by WaterGroup, water usage will be monitored by a cloud-based system that will help to identify any anomalies so any leaks are addressed early.

The restaurant will also use a heat recovery hot water system that absorbs heat from the air-conditioning system to heat water. This system is more efficient than conventional water heaters and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

All timber cladding is Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification endorsed.

A building-monitoring system will assist McDonald’s to optimise energy use while the restaurant serves customers. Any anomalies in the air conditioning, lighting and refrigeration system will trigger an alert so the restaurant can rectify immediately.

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/sustainability/article/restaurant-1000-heralds-mcdonald-s-australia-s-sustainable-future-1251423762

from WordPress https://davidkent.home.blog/2020/12/14/restaurant-1000-heralds-mcdonalds-australias-sustainable-future/

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eco-nnect · 4 years

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Here a list of 100 ways we could fix our world for a healthier and greener future

you could save the world by:

approving ecocide as an international crime against humanity in the Rome Statute

handing subsidies to regenerative farms and organic products

promoting a circular economy

cutting subsidies to dairy farms

implementing a meat tax

reducing food waste through composting

making supermarkets donate their food waste to food banks

investing in hemp

making corporations pay for unacceptable overuse of freshwater sources

boycotting Amazon.com and opting for smaller retailers instead

implementing a carbon tax

subsidizing renewable energy

becoming a minimalist

going zero-waste

making cities greener by cutting cars and planting trees

encouraging foraging in cities

creating green roofs

dealing with faulty tube systems to avoid freshwater leaks

applying dynamic glass to buildings

eating plantbased

joining a Fridays for Future protest or Extinction Rebellion

offsetting your carbon-footprint

donating to ISA—Instituto Socio Ambiental, to protect the Amazon Rainforest

investing in CCU and CCS technologies

buying clothes from vintage & second-hand shops only

voting for candidates with a long-term view of the future and with strong climate targets

eating less fish or shark

increasing bicycle lanes in cities

improving railway lines

protecting existing forests and rainforests

harnessing ocean power for electricity

using a guppyfriend bag that traps microplastics

avoiding products with toxic chemicals

changing to a bank that does not finance petrol companies

using ocean savers to clean your home

encouraging your city to become a “15-minute city”

taxing companies that pollute the oceans through pesticide use

taxing pesticide companies like Monsanto

subsidizing biopesticide companies

learning how to live according to permaculture principles

conserving tropical peatlands and mangroves as they are huge carbon storers

promoting healthy soils

rewilding forests and lands

improving biodiversity conservation

boycotting palm oil

calling out greenwashers

making shark-derived squalene illegal

helping fishermen transition to diving operators

increasing marine protected areas

investing in cultured meat/fish

learning from indigenous practices to coexist with nature

protecting 30% of the oceans by 2030

updating the legal framework for International Seas

reusing old jars for storing food

using a menstrual cup instead of tampons

investing in vertical farming

purchasing from upcycled clothing brands

making tap water more accessible through drinking stations eg. like eau de Paris

forcing companies that produce a lot of plastic to pay for their own waste disposal eg. recycling or cleaning up the oceans

listening to environmental podcasts

meditating

spending quality time in nature

investing in bio-contributing packaging made from mushrooms

understanding the magical and healing powers of mushrooms in uniting humans to mother Earth

holding corporations accountable for their greenhouse gas emissions, whilst incentivizing green companies through loans and tax cuts

aligning your business with your values

building with green materials and innovative solutions: Carbon Architecture

installing a nebia shower in your home

teaching environmental studies in schools

expanding the green school concept

donating to agroforestry projects

buying from brands that have certifications eg. fair trade, GOTS

building e-highways

banning deep-sea mining

purchasing upcycled and eco-friendly furniture

buying from companies that sell “ugly” fruits & vegetables

banning naval sonar that makes whales killl themselves

subsidizing technology that could improve aviation

increasing a country’s NBS (Nature Based Solutions) to reach climate neutrality

Joining the Resistance

avoiding products with fishy supply chains eg. canned tuna

investing in insect farming for feed

banning microplastics in products eg. in toothpaste

using loose leaf tea only

avoiding single-use plastics

using a bidet instead of toilet paper

investing in agtech startups

purchasing refurbished tech instead

reselling your clothes online

buying less stuff

signing the petition to withdraw the CAP

encouraging big investors to drop Brazilian meat companies that are not transparent

sleeping outside every now and then

investing in waste to energy facilities outside of cities

increasing communal gardens and composts in cities

promoting a system of values based on cooperation and sustainability rather than on greed and constant growth

investing in ice911—the technology that could save the Arctic

realising that 100 corporations are responsible for 71% of greenhouse gas emissions

investing in innovative projects that can radically change our system

taking a permaculture design course at Ecoversity

#2020Q6 #100ways #savetheworld #solutions

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