McDonald’s Lymm & YMCA Together – Social Value Engagement Activity

A partnership between Reconomy, McDonald’s, Murray & Willis and YMCA Together, Liverpool branch, has facilitated the reuse of restaurant furniture from a newly refurbished McDonald’s restaurant, located at Poplar 2000 services in Lymm, Warrington. In doing so, it has both prevented these resources from being wasted and created a reuse opportunity that benefits both the community and the wider environment.

In 2022, Reconomy was awarded sole supplier status on the framework for McDonald’s ‘reimaging store refurbishment works programme’. Within this role, Reconomy was tasked with supporting all ten existing contractors responsible for overseeing restaurant refurbishments to deliver increasingly sustainable environmental excellence. This meant identifying more sustainable, circular solutions to minimise waste generated by each restaurant refurb, along with exploring all possible opportunities for the reuse or recycling of materials. This would be underpinned by detailed and accurate waste and resource management Information delivered via the market leading Reconomy Portal.

As part of the ongoing refurbishment works, Reconomy identified a significant reuse opportunity for surplus-to-requirements furniture from the McDonald’s Lymm restaurant owned by Franchisee Jayne Aspin-Mayne. These include stools, chairs, benches, tables, sofas, and even its recycling stations. Following a period of engagement with nearby third sector organisations, an agreement was reached to donate the furniture to Liverpool branch of YMCA Together, effectively removing it as a waste stream whilst at the same time creating a social value initiative with significant expansion potential.