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McDonald’s has set high standards for themselves to live up to. Not only do people expect a delicious burger and golden, thin, perfectly salted fries each time they circle the drive through, but they also expect McDonald’s to give back to the community.
As a major company in the world, McDonald’s has a worldwide corporate responsibility to maintain. They place the social and environmental issues that affect themselves, their customers, and other stakeholders as top priorities.
McDonald’s often received a bad reputation because so many people deemed their menu unhealthy; thus, they have begun many campaigns to get children involved in balanced, active lifestyles. “Helping people achieve the right balance between the energy they consume as food and the energy they burn in physical activity calls for involvement and collaboration by many sectors,“ claims the McDonald’s website. Passport to Play, one of the many sectors McDonald’s has developed to keep bodies active and minds engaged, is being used in over 40 thousand elementary schools across the country. “With Passport to Play, children will engage in playground games and physical activities from around the world, while learning more about the culture and country where the activities originate,” stated Heather Oldani, McDonald’s.
Buka Ball, a Thailand game that combines volleyball and hacky sack, is one example of a McDonald’s Passport to Play game. Students who attend the elementary schools that engage in these games will play Buka Ball during P.E. class and then learn facts about the country Thailand such as: 90 percent of Thailand’s people practice Buddhism, Thailand cuisine is usually served with fragrant rice, and Thai conservationists work hard to protect Asian elephants. There are many other games and facts from countries around the world that children are learning from McDonald’s support in Passport to Play. McDonald’s ensures that these children are getting an active playtime while enriching their minds.
McDonald’s developed Passport to Play in 2005 to motivate and engage children in physical and mental activity. In addition to activities that McDonald’s has partnered with, they added a variety of healthy options to their menu in 2004. In 2008, McDonald’s partnered with the Fruits and Veggies – More Matters health initiative to encourage consumers to add more fruits and vegetables to every eating occasion because everyone could use a little more fruits and vegetables.
On Mother’s Day, McDonald’s supports women around the country as a sponsor of the Network of Strength’s annual Walk to Empower. This year marks the 19th year of the Walk to Empower, and 13 cities across the country are holding events. Ronald McDonald helps kick off the Mother’s Day tradition at the start line nation wide. As well as sponsoring the Walk to Empower, McDonald’s has made a long-standing commitment to breast cancer awareness and support because McDonald’s takes great pride in supporting the organizations and causes that are important to their employees and customers.
McDonald’s is also known for taking care of their employees. Founder, Ray Kroc, said, “None of us is as good as all of us,” and McDonald’s employees live by that statement today. He meant that not one single person was better than everyone together, so everyone should always be treated as an important team player in order to have a successful team. McDonald’s does not only encourage employees while they are on the clock, but McDonald’s encourages their employees in their education as well. To support the employees in furthering their education, McDonald’s has a scholarship program available to student-employees who excel in their studies, serve their communities, and work hard at work. McDonald’s wants to see their employees succeed in life.
Giving back to the community through programs and sponsorship and encouraging employees to excel in all aspects of life is a major way that McDonald’s is socially responsible and pledging to keep the environment clean is another.
To control solid waste, McDonald’s has reduced the initial amount of materials they use, recycled recyclable items, used recycled materials, and eliminated unnecessary packaging. To keep the McDonald’s neighborhood clean, franchises are supposed to have regular litter patrols and free food volunteer clean up days. Keeping the environment clean is important to McDonald’s.
“We know that our business depends on the strength of the communities in which our restaurants operate and on our customers’ trust,” McDonald’s President Jan Fields said. “We are committed to: delivering quality products through a safe and secure supply chain, giving back to the communities we serve and acting ethically as a business.”