John Cunsolo
Natalie Czeredarczuk
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David DeCosta
St. John's University
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McDonald’s is looking to benefit the youth by helping them with potential job opportunities and training programs. They also help the Earth with their recycling initiative and support families. Their goals are to give younger people more opportunities to work, as well as learn new information, increase the amount of recycling and reduce their waste, and provide healthy, well-balanced meals to children of poorer families. These three innovations help with “Decent Work,” “Climate Action,” and “Zero Hunger.”
One UN Goal that McDonald’s strives to achieve is Zero Hunger. They use five key innovations to achieve this goal. The first step they take is offering balanced meals to children in their happy meal. The second step they take is by simplifying ingredients and removing artificial flavors and added colors to artificial sources in happy meals. On top of these efforts, they are reducing artificial preservatives where possible. The third step is that they are being transparent with happy meal nutritional information. The fourth step they are taking is by marketing responsibly to meet new nutrition criteria. Finally, they are leveraging innovative marketing to help increase the purchase of foods and beverages that contain recommended food groups in happy meals.
The second UN goal that McDonald’s strives to achieve is Decent Work and Economic Growth. McDonald’s uses key innovative steps to achieve this goal. One key innovation they use is by starting Hamburger University, offering hundreds of thousands of kids the opportunity to graduate from college, earn a high school diploma, learn English as a second language, complete apprenticeships and gain access to advising services. Not only has McDonald’s donated million in grants to employees to attend college, they have also pledged to have offered 45,000 apprenticeships by 2025.
The third UN goal McDonald’s strives to achieve is Climate Action. McDonald’s is using new innovative goals to help prevent to our environment. One main strive they are making is to source 100% of their guest packing from renewable, recycled, or certified sources by 2025. The second huge goal they have set is to recycle guest packing in 100% of the McDonald’s restaurants by 2025 . They understand that recycling varies from city to city and country to country, but they plan to be part of the solution and help influence powerful change.
After we had the opportunity to interview James Strong, we were also able to speak to him off camera. While speaking to James, he told us what allows him to wake up every morning and help make this world a better place. His main goal in life is make a positive impact on this world in any way that he can. McDonald's leadership allows him and every other worker to achieve this dream by putting these innovations into place. James pointed out that the Youth Opportunities at his McDonald's is growing every month and he can see people’s lives changing for the better. As the general store manager, James has the opportunity to speak with each worker at his store. Listening to their stories about their lives and how they try every day to make it better is something that James takes to heart. He is always there for his employees and makes sure they are always on the right track to success.
Each of their three innovations have had an extremely strong impact on individuals and society.
Their “Youth Opportunity” is far more advanced than simply giving a 16-year-old a job at McDonald’s. They have partnered with many organizations across the globe to help the youth of the world. For example, in Chicago, McDonald’s Corporation assisted with a life skills training, with 4,200 youths attending. This training had an actual effect on the individuals taking part, with 87% having increased life skills, and 71% feeling more committed to their education and employment.
With their “Packaging and Recycling” initiative, they are aiming to have 100% of their restaurants recycling their guest packaging, as well as using renewable and recycled guest packaging by 2025. They are partnering with other organizations to become more eco-friendly and increase their recycling.
Finally, with their “Commitment to Families” initiative, they are attempting to provide healthy, well-balanced meals at low prices to help out lower-income families. They increased the access to fruits, vegetables, water, and low-fat dairy to give people healthier options to eat. They are implementing this initiative through the Happy Meal. They are increasing healthier options, as well as restricting unhealthy options. McDonald’s removed soda from their Happy Meals to help this initiative. They stated that after implementing this tactic, they saw an increase in positive consumer behaviors.
Each of the innovations that McDonald's is making and putting forward can help the company in a positive way. The innovation towards the goal of “Decent Work and Economic Growth” is allowing young individuals to learn important life goals and lessons as they grow up. Giving individuals this opportunity can one day lead them to a promotion within McDonald's and help the company become better than what they already are. Helping the youth gives McDonald's a positive appearance to the outside world and can even bring in more employees for the company. Regarding the second goal, “Zero Hunger,” McDonald's is innovating this goal to help better nutritional intake for kids and adults. Knowing that the company is only serving products that won’t harm or hurt you in any way leaves a positive impression. McDonald's has so many healthy options people can choose to make their meal healthy and nutritious. This innovation can benefit the company because they are showing the world that they care about other individual’s well-being. The last goal, “Climate Action”, is a big step towards making this world a better place. Having the ability to make a positive impact on the whole world and its ecosystems is amazing. Strawless cups could bring in much more profit than before because the company will be saving more money on recycling products. McDonald's benefits from these innovations because not only is it changing the world, it is changing all of their workers to become the best person they can.
McDonald's Corporation helps benefit Society and the Environment through several initiatives. One is the Zero Hunger Sustainable Development Goal, an initiative that is aimed to not only feed millions but also provide healthy meal options. For children, there are Happy Meals in which they provide the options of apple juice, milk, yogurt, and apple slices. These are more nutritious options compared to fried food and sugary soda beverage options. They are also transparent and provide nutritional information to customers. Another Sustainable Development Goal is decent work and economic growth. In developed countries like the United States, it is becoming pivotal to gain skills through a job. There may be many barriers to enter certain jobs, but McDonald's provides many young individuals a chance to gain experience and develop through their position at the company. This helps prepare future generations for the workforce and make them feel more secure, thus helping to develop the economy in the long run. The last SDG is Climate Action. Climate change is one of the largest concerns in contemporary society. McDonald's is taking responsibility as one of the largest corporations in the world by taking initiative and helping to fight this issue. They are moving toward using less plastic and recycling more often. McDonald's also helps set up the Ronald McDonald Foundation to provide housing for families with children sick in the hospital. After every meal, McDonald's workers will ask customers to donate to the Ronald McDonald House by rounding their order to the nearest dollar. With all of these initiatives in action, McDonald's is helping to improve society and preserve the environment.
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McDonald's is one of the fastest growing fast food chains in the world. Every day, they serve over 68 million people globally. Although they may be a fast food chain, McDonald's is helping to change this world for the better with many innovations they plan to contribute with.