Fast food chains are a major cause of global heating and deforestation, because they are promoting, through billions of dollars of annual advertising, the consumption of mammal flesh which the United Nations environmental panel has said cause more greenhouse gases than cars. In addition, they cause major deforestation. The drought in Brazil and Peru is caused by massive deforestation in order to make room for cattle ranching and timber operations.
Environment volunteers find that recycling at many fast food chain franchise outlets is often nonexistent. This problem is multiplied by the stark reality that giant fast food companies are among the biggest garbage creators in the world.
Fast food chain litter is found in concentric circles around their outlets, diverting taxes to cleanup after their mess as well as increasing landfill costs with their concomitant bulldozing of new areas.
Pizza cardboard boxes are just one of many kinds of deforesting trash generated.
1 The billionaire Nelson Peltz owns Wendy's and Arby's. Moveon.org is conducting a petition requesting their recycling.
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/wendys-go-green-and-recycle 2 McDonald's has been using incinerators at certain areas rather than to recycle the dead tree paper they cause. Besides the original deforestation this causes air pollution and removes paper from the possibility of being recycled. Unlike Burger King which has a veggieburger, Subway which is testmarketing a vegan falafel sandwich, Chipotle which has a tofu sandwich, Taco Bell which has a bean burrito (not yet MSG free), McDonald's in providing no real vegan alternative seems more resistant to change than any other fast food corporation. In Scotland and the UK, McDonald's is called the most littered brand.
http://www.24dash.com/news/environment/2009-01-13-mcdonalds-named-uks-mo http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/scotland/article3923809.ece http://www.donellameadows.org/archives/bad-and-good-environmental-marks-/ 3 Those who save coffee cups cannot have them refilled the next day at some chains. Burger King is one of these, but gets better marks at one of its franchises.
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2014/06/09/burger-king-franchise-find/ 4. The world's largest food conglomerate is Yum Foods, owner of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC etc. Environmentalists are asking for change from Yum. Pizza Hut cardboard boxes fill apartment building dumpsters.
http://www.asyousow.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/2013-yum-memo.pdf http://kfccruelty.com 5. Subway claims leadership in recycling, but no chain which advertises red meat can claim to a commitment to mother earth.
http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/about_us/Social_Responsibility/Environm 6. Chipotle is an exception using napkins of 90% recycled paper content
7. Red Lobster is giving a market to Canadian fish has its hand on the clubs which smash in sealskulls. Darden sold Red Lobster restaurants to Golden Gate Capital.
http://www.seashepherd.org/seals/boycott.html 8. Dunkin Donuts introduces recyclable coffee cups
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/money/2014/10/02/dunkin-donuts-/ 9 Panera Bread in San Francisco is better at recycling than in some other locations.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/san-francisco-panera-bread-sets- Some of the largest US fast food and restaurant chains:
Arby's
Au Bon Pain
Baskin-Robbins
Blimpie
Boston Market
Buffalo Wild Wings
Burger King
Carl's Jr.
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Dairy Queen
Domino's Pizza
Dunkin' Donuts
Green Burrito
Hardee's
KFC
Little Caesars
Long John Silver's
McCafé
McDonald's
Nando's
Olive Garden
Panera Bread
Papa John's Pizza
Pizza Hut
Red Lobster
Red Rooster
Round Table Pizza
Sonic Drive-In
Starbucks
Subway
TCBY
Tim Horton's
Taco Bell
Wendy's
WingStreet