McDonald’s to cut greenhouse gas emissions

NEW YORK — The company behind the golden arches wants to get greener.

McDonald’s said Tuesday it’s taking steps to cut the greenhouse gases it emits, including tweaking the way the beef in its Big Macs and Quarter Pounders is produced.

The world’s largest burger chain said it expects the changes to prevent 165 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions from being released into the atmosphere by 2030, equal to taking 32 million cars off the road for a year.

Several food and beverage companies have announced changes recently to appeal to McDonald’s on Tuesday announced a number of steps it will take to cut the greenhouse gases it emits into the air, including tweaking the way the beef in its Big Macs and Quarter Pounders is produced.

customers concerned about the environment. Dunkin’ Donuts has said it will stop using foam coffee cups by

2020. And soda maker CocaCola announced plans to recycle a bottle or can for every beverage it sells by 2030.

“We’re taking action we care about and customers really appreciate,” said McDonald’s Corp. CEO Steve Easterbrook.

The company said three areas — beef production, energy use at its restaurants and packaging — account for more than 60 percent of its emissions, and it will make changes there first.

To reduce emissions at cattle farms, suppliers are testing a new way to feed cattle: moving animals from pen to pen, so the soil the cows stand on as they eat grass has a chance to recover. Healthier soil can better absorb carbon, the company said, meaning less of it will end up in the air.