M&EA Council takes part in ‘30 Parks in 30 Days’ Campaign on litter

The ‘30 Parks in 30 Days’ campaign saw McDonald’s employees undertake 30 litter clean-ups in parks and nature areas across Northern Ireland throughout the 30 days of June. Led by the seven local franchisees across McDonald’s NI estate of 33 restaurants including Ballymena, the clean-up events has been supported by local councils, elected representatives, schools and volunteer groups.

Attending a recent litter clean-up in Ballymena and Carrickfergus led by their local McDonald’s restaurants was Councillors Eugene Reid and Lauren Gray. Cllr Reid said: “I am delighted that we are able to lend our support to this fantastic campaign. As a Council we take pride in ensuring our streets across the Borough are kept clean and we are continuously pro-active in trying to reduce the impact of litter, but it can also be a challenge so it is great to see organisations such as McDonalds taking action to address this serious issue.”

Des Lamph, Franchisee of the McDonald’s Ballymena and Carrickfergus restaurant, commented: “At McDonald’s, we take our environmental responsibilities extremely seriously. We very much share our customers’ and stakeholders’ disappointment and frustration at seeing litter discarded carelessly in parks, on paths and by the sides of roads. Whilst our employees regularly undertake voluntary litter clean-ups in these areas, this collaborative ’30 Parks in 30 Days’ campaign between our restaurants and local communities reinforces our strong commitment to tackling litter in Northern Ireland.”

Mr Lamph said the campaign adds further to “a wide range of litter initiatives” rolled out by McDonald’s on a daily basis. Across the UK and Ireland, McDonald’s staff collect 27 tonnes of litter every year, on litter patrols that take place around every restaurant three times a day. Employees cover a total of 5,000 miles each week picking up all waste, be it our own packaging or that of other restaurants and retailers.”