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Anti-litter receipts demanded as drive-through restaurants surge

McDonalds (Rui Vieira/PA Wire)
McDonalds

An MP has called for fast-food chains to run a test scheme printing people’s car registration details on their drive-through receipts in a bid to tackle litter.

Ronnie Cowan said his constituency was blighted by the problem and has written to four of the top chains to see if a pilot scheme could be rolled out across Scotland.

Planning applications reveal demand for drive-throughs across Britain has increased by 25% post-Covid, with chains looking to open 200 sites a year. The idea would see car owners assume responsibility for disposing of any litter bearing their registration details, with the possibility of fines being issued over any found discarded.

Cowan said increasing fast food business during the pandemic had resulted in more wrapping being tossed from cars.

Cowan, SNP MP for Inverclyde, said: “I regularly take part in litter-picking operations, and am aware of how damaging litter is for the environment. Lockdown appears to have added to the problem.

“I have asked Taco Bell, KFC, McDonald’s and Burger King to consider printing car registration numbers on their packaging in the hope this will deter the purchaser from failing to dispose of it thoughtfully. If a pilot scheme works in Inverclyde, this could be rolled out across Scotland.

“These outlets carry out routine cleaning of their immediate surroundings to varying degrees of success but once the food has left their premises it ceases to be their concern. I think they should encourage responsible behaviour and if we can’t do that we should enforce it.”

After the marking of wrappers with car registration details was introduced at one drive-through in Essex in 2013, litter dropped by 50% while the issuing of fixed penalties increased by 250%.

A UK-wide petition began last year proposing the idea of small stickers, printed with the date and time of visit and car registration, being placed on to the bottom of the drive-through bags, cups and boxes. The organisers propose a fine or form of community service for anyone not properly disposing of their wrapping with the petition currently having 62,000 signatures.

Taco Bell said: “The restaurant is open to having a discussion on the matter.” McDonald’s said they were “not able to process our customers’ data in this way” at present but were “open to the proposal in principle”.

Burger King said: “We currently implement a number of policies including regular litter picking and constantly review our policies.”

KFC did not respond to our request for comment but it’s understood the printing of “personally identifiable information” on packaging is being considered.