McDonald's UK&I Change Challenge 2026/27

Your mission
We're asking 16-18 year olds to create a three-minute video presenting your innovation to redesign McDonald's approach to circularity, helping customers to find recycling easy, engaging and making it truly circular – enabling new products to be made from recycled waste. This could be a new idea, design or incentive that drives lasting impact. Your ideas could spark real change in McDonald's restaurants across the UK.

Your video checklist
Use your video to clearly explain your idea and pitch how it could work in a real McDonald's UK&I restaurant.

1. Show that you understand the challenge. McDonald's already uses recycling points to separate paper, plastic, cups and food waste. How could they be even easier or more engaging to use?
2. Explain your idea clearly. This could be a new design, system or incentive that improves how customers recycle
3. Think about the customer experience. How does your idea make recycling simple, intuitive and hard to ignore in a busy restaurant?
4. Look beyond packaging. Could your idea also consider food waste, composting, or rethinking items like Happy Meal toys?
5. Show impact. Explain how your idea could help give waste a second life and make a real difference across McDonald's UK&I restaurants

What you can win

• £500 to kickstart your own environmentally friendly project at school or home
• An exclusive behind-the-scenes experience with McDonald's UK
  The top five entries will also be invited to a VIP Awards Ceremony hosted by the University of Derby in Spring 2027.

The ceremony includes interactive sustainability workshops led by university experts, a behind-the-scenes tour of the Aquatic Research Facility, Institute of Carbonomics and sustainability research facilities, plus a presentation of awards with representatives from McDonald's and the University of Derby.

For full terms and conditions, check out our website.

Enquire about this event