McDonald’s is preparing to abandon disposable cups in restaurants in the Netherlands. Starting from January 5, 2027, the Dutch branch of the multinational will switch exclusively to reusable cups for drinks consumed on site, following an intervention by the Environment and Transport Inspectorate (Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport, ILT).
The decision, in fact, comes after an investigation by the Dutch authority, which found that McDonald’s Nederland BV had not respected the national rules on disposable plastic cups intended for customers who consume inside restaurants since 2024.
According to the ILT, in short, the chain was still distributing disposable plastic cups in its premises without however collecting them separately for recycling, as required by Dutch legislation. Furthermore, the company allegedly failed to maintain mandatory documentation regarding the use of single-use plastic products.
The rules allow catering establishments two options: completely eliminate disposable cups by switching to reusable solutions, or continue to use them while ensuring their collection and recycling.
A fine worth millions of euros
After the ILT announced its intention to impose a coercive fine in June 2026, McDonald’s Nederland communicated its commitment to transition to the reusable cup system. The authority therefore decided to confirm the provision: if the company does not comply with the agreement from 5 January 2027, a fine of 625 thousand euros can be imposed for each violation, up to an overall maximum of 3.75 million euros.
McDonald’s is one of the largest restaurant chains in the Netherlands offering food and drinks for both dine-in and takeaway, said Gert van Rootselaar, ILT senior inspector for waste and circular economy.
Every year, according to the inspectorate, the company distributes around 175 million glasses, of which almost half are used in restaurants.
When such large quantities of disposable cups are not collected separately and recycled, damage is caused to the environment – explained Van Rootselaar, underlining that the switch to reusable containers represents “the best choice for the environment”.
The checks after the request of the Fair Resource Foundation
The investigation started after a request for intervention presented by the Fair Resource Foundation (FRF), an organization committed to reducing waste and promoting the circular economy. During 2026, the ILT carried out inspections of 32 McDonald’s restaurants in the Netherlands, verifying compliance with the rules set out in the Single-Use Plastic Products Regulation (RKEG).
The Dutch case is part of a broader path undertaken by Europe to reduce dependence on single-use plastic and limit waste production. The direction indicated by the new community regulations is to progressively overcome the disposable model, favoring systems based on reuse, on the design of more sustainable products and on the responsibility of companies in managing the end of life of packaging.
The choice of McDonald’s in the Netherlands therefore represents not only a response to a regulatory obligation, but also an example of how even and above all the large restaurant chains are called to rethink their consumption models, especially in a sector where millions of disposable packages and containers are used every day. The real challenge will be to understand whether reusable systems will be able to become a widespread, effective and truly beneficial practice for the environment, reducing not only the dispersed plastic but the entire impact linked to the production and disposal of waste.
