Pack and go: how green is fast food franchise packaging?

Sarah Stowe

Chook’s Steve Hansen believes it is a perception that people want healthier meals while the reality is that his fast food franchise chain continues to sell chicken and chips and Coke. Yes there are additions to the menu, and the customer can opt for barbecued over fried chicken. But the core business remains a simple meal solution popular for years.

For an industry dependent on disposable consumables, is the same true of the packaging our tasty takeaway is transported in? Just how much does it matter if the containers are environmentally friendly?

Dave Milne explains that Noodle Box has addressed the environmental concerns of catering right down to kitchen innovations. “We’ve spent a lot of time with a supplier creating a waterless wok so that if the chef is adding water to a dish the taps flick on but on a timer. This is being rolled out into new stores,” he reveals.

At Noodle Box the paper packaging is all recyclable, and waste management carefully controlled. “From a customers’ perspective, you can only educate the customer so much and hope people do sensible things afterwards with the packaging.”

Carry-out containers are all branded and the franchise network uses paper bags rather than plastic. Although plastic cutlery is available, most customers will use the chopsticks bought from bamboo farms.

“We’re big enough so we can negotiate costs better, that’s the benefit of franchising.”

Environmental issues are a big concern for Sumo Salad which uses paper bags, cardboard food containers, and forks and other consumables that are biodegradable. “There is a cost disadvantage but we believe it is necessary,” says co founder Luke Baylis. “The customer cares if it doesn’t impact them, if it’s too pricey you can’t do it. Some things are not feasible; wooden cutlery is more than 1000 times dearer than plastic so we look for the next best option.”

Adopting green habits means working with natural unbleached cardboard, reducing the ink on packaging, and being aware of an environmental footprint. “It would be very easy if everyone was prepared to pay the extra money. Everything that is good for us costs more.”

Hansen agrees we need to be aware of the environment and in the last couple of years Chooks has reverted to paper bags over plastic.

“We’ve got to be mindful of working with packaging. Our suppliers are looking to packaging with rice paper. There are a lot of ideas but they have to be effective,” Hansen insists. “Everything is built around the financial model that works and having the parameters in line means we can survive long term. Our main goal is to look after the franchisees first but still be innovative.”