In an effort to raise awareness about the best green practices for McDonald’s, John Rockwell, AIA, LEED AP, sustainability manager for McDonald’s, implemented numerous sustainability initiatives to reduce energy usage, water consumption and waste. Today, a Chicago, Ill., location of the fast-food chain is awaiting LEED certification.

Greening the Golden Arches
As a licensed professional architect and LEED AP, Rockwell serves on the board of directors of the Chicago chapter of the

United States Green Building Council (USGBC). When he joined McDonald’s in 2005, Rockwell outlined a green building strategy that encompassed a specific set of goals, including education and awareness. McDonald’s green building strategy also focuses on ways to reduce, reuse and recycle while maintaining efficiency and productivity.

“Instituting a strategy helps green building plans stay on course,” said Rockwell. “For example, our restaurant location in Chicago that is pending LEED certification opened three months ahead of schedule."

In addition, McDonald’s received a building permit from the Chicago Department of Buildings (DOB) in just 35 days, which also helped keep things moving on schedule. The DOB developed an expedited permit process for projects that incorporate innovative green building strategies.

The Chicago location is a prototypical McDonald’s, which means Rockwell and a consulting team did not drastically change the construction of the building to make it sustainable. Sustainable initiatives that were already in place include the use of ENERGY STAR® rated highly reflective white roofs that helped to reduce the amount of heat reaching the inside of the restaurant and ultimately aided in cutting energy costs.

Save It for a Rainy Day
According to Rockwell, buildings consume 12 percent of U.S. potable water. In order to reduce water consumption, McDonald’s targeted 50 percent water reduction use through low-flow faucets, nozzles and plumbing fixtures.

McDonald’s planted rain gardens and applied permeable paving to the parking lot to decrease storm-water runoff, pollution and to recharge the local aquifer by restoring ground water. Additionally, the restaurant uses native landscaping, which requires less irrigation and supports local ecosystems. In conjunction, a vegetative green roof reduces urban temperature and cuts down on storm-water runoff.

To identify how much water is saved and reused, McDonald’s developed a documentation process that measures potable water use. The restaurant also installed an on-site storm-water cistern that promotes reuse of captured rain water for irrigation and reduces the demand for water. In fact, McDonald’s uses zero percent of potable water to irrigate the facility.

Increased Energy Efficiency Helps Reach Bottom Line
According to Rockwell, buildings account for 71 percent of energy usage in the United States. Given that kitchens use five times more energy per square foot than the rest of the building, increasing energy efficiency can be one of the fastest ways for a restaurant to reach its bottom line. For example, using ENERGY STAR qualified equipment can offset utility costs and drastically reduce energy usage.

Several other sustainability tactics can contribute to these savings as well. For instance, McDonald’s installed LED signage and lighting to save energy and reduce maintenance. Meanwhile, skylights bring natural light into the restaurant and decrease the demand for energy. In addition, using high-efficient HVAC equipment reduces energy demand and improves indoor comfort for customers and staff.

McDonald’s also uses heat-recovery devices to lower the overall energy demand and increase building efficiency. The fast-food restaurant also implemented preferred hybrid parking to support alternative-vehicle technology. Moreover, McDonald’s purchased energy credits that make up 35 percent of the restaurant’s energy intake to promote renewable energy sources and heighten awareness of this technology.

Building with Recycled Content
One innovative sustainability initiative McDonald’s implemented is to use renewable and recycled content as their décor. Overall, 10 percent of McDonald’s restaurant décor is made from post-consumer waste. For example, its tabletops are made from 100 percent recycled consumer milk and detergent containers. In addition, ceramic tile is constructed out of 40 percent pre-consumer waste material. The use of recycled materials reduces the volume of waste entering landfills and can lessen the demand for new materials.

To encourage and enforce consumer recycling, McDonald’s displays signs and plays videos to help educate customers about environmental initiatives and how recycling reduces the volume of waste entering landfills and decreases the demand for new materials. Some of the videos even have a quiz at the end to test consumers on their green knowledge.

Building Social Equity
Being socially responsible is an increasingly more common business decision. In fact, the USGBC reports that 89 percent of the next generation will choose brands aligned with social cause.

“At the Chicago location, McDonald’s implemented tactics such as recycling, hybrid parking, education and visual demonstration to enhance their social equity,” said Rockwell. “Customers immediately notice the green décor and landscaping, educational videos and signage that promote recycling and local energy sources.”

The restaurant also supplies maps for public transportation and uses walk-off mats to help restrict dirt particulates from entering the indoor space to aid in keeping the environment cleaner and healthier. All of these visual cues communicate McDonald’s commitment to learning about and understanding sustainability, and earning LEED certification will be an important benchmark in verifying that understanding.

The Chicago McDonald’s serves as a learning laboratory, providing an opportunity to test potential applications that are site specific. Through various means of measurement, this particular location will determine key sustainable initiatives that should be implemented in other restaurant locations throughout the nation. For example, depending on the geographic location of a McDonald’s restaurant, permeable pavement could be included in its sustainable design initiatives to reduce storm-water runoff. Through consistent measurement and innovations in energy reduction, water consumption and waste management, McDonald’s is serving as a model for other quick-service restaurants striving to be green and also proving that it’s good for business.

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