Wendy's Announces Sustainability Initiative to Fund Single Use Plastic Solution

Wendy's is putting aside its beef with McDonald's to work together with its rival on creating more sustainable and responsible food packaging. The fast food company announced Tuesday that it plans to work with many of its rivals to improve the sustainability of food service industry packaging.

Wendy's joined the NextGen Consortium, a multi-year partnership of foodservice leaders like McDonald's, Starbucks, Yum Brands and Nestle that is backed by Closed Loop Partners, an investment firm that funds sustainable consumer goods.

The burger chain hopes to address single-use food packaging waste, specifically finding new sustainable cup designs through the consortium's NextGen Cup Challenge.

"We know that our customers are increasingly aware of packaging waste and its impact on the environment, and they're already doing their part to be more conscious about their product use and recycling habits," Liliana Esposito, Wendy's chief communications officer, said in a statement.

In addition to joining the consortium, Wendy's also created its own approach to sustainability that it calls Squarely Sustainable, a nod to its signature square burgers.

The company's approach is four-pronged and focuses on: using fewer unnecessary materials, using certified sustainable materials where possible, identifying customer-facing actions that can drive change, and work with partners to find solutions to important problems.

Wendy's eliminated Styrofoam from its restaurants in 2012 and more recently reduced fiber and plastic in several packaging formats, like fry cartons, straws and bags.

The company said there is a "growing need to identify environmentally sustainable solutions" and a "lack broadly available alternatives to single-use plastic and paper."

"This is a corporate social responsibility approach we've applied with great success and look to continue as we embark on new, ambitious goals to build far more Wendy's across the globe, and do that responsibly," Esposito said, adding that the chain now uses Smart designs to use less and better materials when building new restaurants.

"I'm confident that we'll have great partnerships with Closed Loop Partners and many others on this journey, too. I'm excited to share more in the coming months…so watch this [square] space," Esposito said.

Wendy's operates more than 6,700 locations around the world, with most of them in the U.S.