Saving Water in McDonalds Washrooms in India

McDonald’s India is paying careful attention to its water use given its status in a country with severe water challenges. According to The Water Project, India’s population, which is three times that of the United States, is the second largest in the world.  Due to water contamination, the country experiences significantly high diseases caused by an unsafe water supply and only 33% of the country has access to traditional sanitation. Approximately 1,000 children in India die daily from diseases caused by contaminated water, according to The Economist.  An examination of water risks within restaurants identified the heavily used washrooms as a significant source of water consumption. In looking to address this challenge, McDonald’s asked Sealed Air’s Diversey Care team for a solution to help reduce water consumption in public and staff amenities.

McDonald’s India and Sealed Air Diversey Care teams quickly identified Diversey’s Flush-Me Not program which consists of waterless urinals that provide odor and stain control along with water savings in washrooms. The program consists of a urinal screen with embedded fragrance and a cleaning chemical spray. This program led to McDonald’s India achieving significant reductions in water use in 2014. Through the Diversey program, every urinal can become a waterless version saving up to 60% of water used without using expensive equipment. The solution is affordable and provides significant reductions in water use in washrooms.

The project, a critical component to help McDonald’s reach its water stewardship goals, was implemented at approximately 70 restaurants in India. The results for McDonald’s India were exemplary; approximately 1,700,000 gallons of water were saved from going down the drain over a 12-month period, and McDonald’s is in the process of replicating the program in more of its restaurants. The water saved in one year of the Sealed Air Diversey Care Flush-Me-Not program was enough to provide water for over 33,000 people for one day, a significant impact on India’s water challenge.

To read more about Sealed Air’s sustainability programs, please see our 2014 Sustainability Report.