McDonald's Sweden – Reaps the Rewards of TNS

McDonald’s has 75 percent of the fast-food hamburger market share in Sweden; 1998 revenues were about $350 million.

As a result of studying the fundamental nature of their business through the lens of the TNS framework, McDonald’s Sweden serves organic milk and beef, recycles 97 percent of all restaurant waste, has significantly reduced distribution distances, cut fuel costs by over 30 percent, and eliminated 1,200 tonnes of packaging material. About half of the 160 Swedish McDonald’s outlets, the bakery, and national headquarters run on hydropower. All new restaurants use recycled plastic water pipes instead of copper, wood framing instead of steel, and wood foundations instead of concrete, reducing construction material use by 5-10 percent. Seven restaurants are participating in research to develop a
biological filter (using bacteria) to eat oil waste and reuse the remaining clean air to heat the restaurants.

In 1993, just as Mats Lederhausen was settling into his new position as Managing Director of McDonald’s Sweden, TNS founder Dr. Karl-Henrik Robrt addressed the company’s top management in a two-day course on The Natural Step and sustainability. That year, the company established an Environmental Board composed of top executives and educated them in TNS principles. Every store manager and owner/operator also took a one-day course on The Natural Step.

Over the next two years later, the company developed a CD-ROM training program with TNS Sweden to spread the concepts throughout the workforce. It illustrates a vision of a sustainable society, introduces the concept of an ecologically sustainable economy, and addresses how the principles of The Natural Step make sense within the context of McDonald’s Sweden’s business. To date, 3,000 employees have been educated in TNS-based ecological sustainability which is being gradually integrated into all aspects of McDonald’s Sweden’s operations.

McDonald’s Sweden is addressing areas of highest concern: farming, construction, toys, chemicals, distribution, office operations, and packaging. In each case, a group of stakeholders create a vision for a sustainable system, develop prioritized lists of short- and long-term goals and actions, and develop metrics to evaluate progress. The process follows the four system conditions of TNS.

Learn about The Natural Step: [sorry this link is no longer available]