The new McDonald’s net-zero carbon restaurant will serve as a blueprint for future restaurants in the country. Credit: Visual Karsa / Unsplash.|McDonald’s new net zero carbon restaurant will serve as the blueprint for future restaurants in the country. Credit: McDonald’s.

Fast-food restaurant chain McDonald’s has unveiled its net-zero carbon restaurant in Market Drayton, England, which will serve as a blueprint for other sites.

In what is claimed to be an industry first, this restaurant has ensured net-zero emissions during the construction phase and will continue to maintain the same standard in its day-to-day operations.

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It will use renewable energy from two wind turbines and 92 square metres of solar panels, thereby cutting down the amount of energy it sources from the grid.

Furthermore, the restaurant used British sheep wool for insulation instead of man-made materials, while the building cladding is made from recycled white household goods, such as washing machines, and IT equipment.

The restaurant’s drive-thru lane has been created using recycled tyres, as this material enables lower carbon emissions and more water absorption, which lowers the amount of rainwater that goes down the drain.

Wall signs at the restaurant are made from used coffee beans, and the kerbstones are made of recycled plastic bottles.

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The restaurant also features a biodiversity garden and nature trail designed by schoolchildren from Market Drayton Junior School.

The garden has been designed to collect rainwater from the car park area and will offer a habitat for frogs and other creatures.

McDonald’s supply chain and brand trust vice-president Beth Hart said: “At McDonald’s, we believe that our food needs to be served in restaurants that are sustainable for the future.

“Market Drayton is a big step towards making that a reality, enabling us to test and put into practice what a net-zero emissions building, both in build and use, really looks like.

“We’ve already started to roll out some of these innovations to other restaurants, but what is exciting about Market Drayton is the fact it will act as a blueprint for our future newbuilds.”

McDonald’s intends to reach net-zero emissions at all 1,400 of its restaurants, as well as its offices, by 2030.

In August, McDonald’s UK temporarily stopped serving milkshakes and some other bottled drinks owing to supply issues.

In another development, the European Commission reportedly came up with draft rules that are expected to benefit drivers working for online companies including Uber and Deliveroo.

According to Reuters, the new rules would benefit more than four million gig economy workers, as they would become eligible to receive minimum wage, paid leave and pensions.

However, some companies said that the rules could result in lay-offs.