To help advance the goal of sustainably sourcing 100% of its customer-facing packaging by 2026, Wendy's is announcing a new collaboration with packaging and plastics industry leaders Berry Global and LyondellBasell. The collaboration will support Wendy's move from a selection of plastic-lined paper cups with limited recyclability to single-substrate, clear plastic drink cups that more consumers will be able to recycle – an important pathway toward circularity. Based on a mass balance approach, the cups will also use 20% ISCC-certified, recycled plastic across all North America restaurants – a quick-service restaurant industry first – with the potential to increase the amount of recycled plastic used in the future.

The new cup set will launch in U.S. and Canada restaurants in early 2022 with the initial set of large cups using recycled plastic; all drink cups will use recycled plastic in 2023. This important first step is estimated to divert 10 million pounds of waste from landfills over the first two years. The amount of waste diverted from landfills due to this collaboration is projected to increase significantly as Wendy's works with Berry to expand recycled plastic use throughout its entire cup set.

Earlier this year, Wendy's announced plans to optimize customer-facing packaging in order to accomplish its sustainable packaging goal. The announcement demonstrates progress toward this goal by improving drink cup recyclability and increasing the use of recycled plastic.

"Consumers are increasingly aware of the impact of single-use waste, and we want to do our part as a leader in the quick-service restaurant industry to provide more sustainable options," said Liliana Esposito, Wendy's Chief Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Officer. "Today's announcement marks Wendy's next step toward creating packaging solutions that reduce our environmental impact."

Building on its own sustainability goals, Berry has the product design and production knowledge to create circular package changes and manufacture them efficiently.

"Giving our natural resources multiple lives requires commitment and collaboration across the value chain. Partnering with leading brands that actively pursue opportunities to promote innovative packaging solutions is key to accelerating a circular economy," said Tom Salmon, Berry Global's Chairman and CEO.

To begin a transformation that meaningfully advances shared goals, Berry proposed combining the expertise and resources of Wendy's, Berry and LyondellBasell.

"There are many benefits of plastics, including convenience," said Bob Patel, CEO of LyondellBasell. "The issue we must address is plastic waste. As such, we are proud to collaborate with Berry Global and Wendy's to co-create sustainable solutions that will allow us to continue enjoying the benefits of this material while helping to make our environment better for future generations."