Hong Kong watchdog slams McCafe, 7-Eleven over wasteful bring-own-cup services
Consumer Council finds two chains among culprits creating waste even when customers bring their own cups for takeaway drinks
Major chains in Hong Kong are undermining efforts to reduce waste by preparing drinks in throwaway containers before pouring them into customers’ reusable cups, the Consumer Council has said.
The watchdog said on Monday that it had conducted an investigation from November to December of last year, with McDonald’s McCafe and 7-Eleven’s 7Cafe named among the main culprits.
The council said the practice defeated the purpose of customers bringing their own cups for takeaway drinks to reduce waste, noting the organisation had conducted 60 checks across 20 chains – visiting three different branches for each brand.
Researchers visited three McCafe locations and found staff at each site used disposable paper cups to prepare drinks despite customers explicitly saying they wanted to use their own containers.
“McDonald’s Hong Kong acknowledges the findings of the Consumer Council’s study and has promptly enhanced staff training,” a McDonald’s spokesman said.
“The company has established an operational procedure for customers to choose reusable cups when placing orders at McCafe counters.”