[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 26395]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                   McDONALD'S NAMED RECYCLING LEADER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2001, the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend the McDonald's 
Corporation, which is headquartered in my district, for its continued 
leadership in environmental conservation. For over a decade, McDonald's 
has set the standard for corporate social responsibility. It has been a 
pioneer in a range of initiatives to reduce solid waste, conserve 
energy, and promote environmental awareness and conservation here in 
the United States and around the world.
  For its good work, McDonald's has been honored by many, including 
Keep America Beautiful, the National Audubon Society and Conservation 
International. It also has received awards from the President's Council 
on Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency.
  Now adding to its long track record of achievements, McDonald's has 
been selected by the National Recycling Coalition for another important 
environmental award. This award recognizes the company's vision and 
leadership in proving that recycling really does work.
  Back in 1989, McDonald's formed a partnership with the Environmental 
Defense Fund or EDF, to develop a comprehensive plan for reducing 
waste. This cooperative effort sparked a kind of revolution in the 
restaurant industry. In fact, it laid the foundation for a new approach 
to solving environmental problems: Working partnerships between 
businesses and environmental organizations.
  With EDF's help, McDonald's set out to assess every aspect of its 
business, looking for opportunities to conserve. In 1990, McDonald's 
established one of the first corporate ``buy recycle'' programs. It 
also initiated an ongoing series of environmentally friendly changes in 
packaging designs and materials. Two years later, McDonald's became a 
founding member of the Buy Recycled Business Alliance, a group of 
businesses dedicated to purchasing recycled products.
  The impact of these efforts has been extraordinary. Since 1990, 
McDonald's has purchased, in the United States, over $3 billion worth 
of products made from recycled materials, eliminated 150,000 tons of 
packaging, and recycled 1 million tons of corrugated cardboard.
  Recycling is not the only significant conservation efforts undertaken 
by McDonald's over the years. This company has expanded its 
environmental programs to include water conservation, air pollution 
reduction, rain forest preservation and restoration, protection of 
domestic natural habitats, and litter reduction. Through partnerships 
with its suppliers and environmental organizations, it has fostered new 
conservation technologies, influenced business practices, and supported 
environmental education in classrooms, communities, and McDonald's 
restaurants in the U.S. and abroad.
  The National Recycling Coalition's award is a fitting recognition for 
such significant and successful efforts to make the world a better 
place.

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