McDonald's China's Gu Lei: Embedding the "Green Growth Engine" into the Consumer Journey So Customers Naturally Embrace Green Concepts

Special Topic: 2026 Sustainable Global Leaders Conference & the Second Green Industry and Sustainable Consumption Expo. The 2026 Sustainable Global Leaders Conference was held in Shanghai from October 20 to 22.

During a themed dialogue titled "Sustainable Consumption and Brand Mission: Leading Deep Transformation in Global Lifestyles," Gu Lei, Chief Impact Officer of McDonald's China, introduced the company's green strategy, the "Green Growth Engine." She stated that this strategy is not merely a green strategy but also the company's business strategy, encompassing four aspects: green supply chain, green restaurants, green packaging, and green recycling.

The green supply chain covers the entire process from source to table, including food ingredient procurement and regenerative agriculture practices. Gu Lei said that all emission reduction actions and initiatives throughout the supply chain process are important components.

On the green restaurant front, more than 5,000 of McDonald's over 8,000 restaurants nationwide are certified green restaurants, the highest number of certifications among all brands. In addition, there are three zero-carbon restaurants, located respectively in Beijing Shougang Park, Guangzhou Baiyun Mountain, and Shenzhen Vanke Eco Park, forming a green restaurant ecosystem that combines both individual highlights and broad coverage.

Regarding green packaging, Gu Lei introduced that the paper used by McDonald's is FSC-certified, the trays use recycled plastic materials recovered within the system, and the restaurant furniture also incorporates recycled and regenerated elements.

On green recycling, McDonald's launched the "Reinvented Goodies" project, which recycles and reuses waste plastic from Happy Meal packaging. Gu Lei previewed that in the coming two days, McDonald's "Mai Mai Mall" will launch a new Reinvented Goodies product—a McDonald's character mouse made from recycled waste plastic from Happy Meal packaging.

Gu Lei said the "Green Growth Engine" focuses on areas closely related to the business, integrating green into the business growth process and the entire consumer journey. "So customers will seamlessly embrace these green concepts and won't feel that their consumption experience is affected."