McDonald’s Turns Rivals’ Trash Into Rewards At Its Restaurants

Image courtesy of NORD DDB Stockholm

One chain’s trash is another chain’s treasure, it seems. In a curious attempt to encourage responsible garbage disposal, McDonald’s in Sweden has expanded its app to include a little competition—literally.

Last year, the fast-food giant introduced a feature in its app that rewarded customers for properly disposing of their McDonald’s packaging in trash bins. Originally, the app allowed customers to scan McDonald’s packaging as they threw it away, earning them special deals and discounts in return. Now, it’s taken it a step further by accepting packaging from competitors like Burger King and the local favorite, Max Burgers.

The latest update to this campaign, entitled Deal with the Trash, was created by advertising agency NORD DDB Stockholm in conjunction with The Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to cutting litter. By welcoming the wrappers of its competitors, the company is broadening its approach to keeping trash out, encouraging everyone—not just its own customers—to keep the streets clean.

Michaela Bognas, head of marketing at McDonald's Sweden, notes, “We hope more people will be motivated to throw their rubbish in the right place—one step towards reducing the littering of takeaway packing.”

[via NORD DDB Stockholm, image courtesy]