McDonald's faces fines in Netherlands over disposable cup violations

The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) has imposed a penalty on McDonald's in the Netherlands for failing to comply with regulations regarding disposable cups. The company has been in violation of these rules since 2024, specifically by failing to collect single-use plastic cups and maintain proper administrative records.

McDonald's has committed to transitioning to exclusively reusable cups for customers dining in its restaurants starting next year. If the company fails to fully implement this change by January 5, it faces fines of 625,000 euros per violation, up to a maximum of 3.75 million euros. The ILT described the penalty as a “stok achter de deur” (a stick behind the door) to ensure compliance.

The enforcement action follows inspections of 32 McDonald's locations triggered by a request from the Fair Resource Foundation (FRF). Senior inspector Gert van Rootselaar noted that the company distributes approximately 175 million cups annually, about half of which are used within its restaurants. The ILT emphasized that failing to collect and recycle these large quantities of single-use cups causes environmental damage.