Wouldn't you know; they don't put their mailing address on the website...

To _______, Head of Corporate Responsibility, McDonald’s Corporation:

I am an Indian-American born and raised in Chicago; I have been living and working in India for the past 15 months. I ate at the McDonald’s on Ashram Road in Ahmedabad, Gujarat for the first time yesterday (November 10, 2005). The food is exactly as I had remember at home, but I am absolutely shocked at the amount of packaging McDonald’s uses at one of their Indian franchises.

In a country plagued by a culture of littering and mismanaged garbage disposal, I am surprised and considerably disappointed at the amount of garbage your corporation is directly (and seemingly shamelessly) producing.

I understand that McDonald’s is not the only culprit, nor the greatest contributor to the huge amounts of waste produced in this city, country… even globally. But, as a part of coming into another country, and as a trailblazer in global marketing, you should set an example. You have a responsibility to not only set the high standard that I would hope you would hold yourself up to, but also a responsibility to understand how you can contribute to the betterment of a country beyond increasing your profit margins.

You have the resources, technology and capacity to find creative, resourceful ways to use much less packaging. The solution would likely also save money currently spent toward creating and disposing of the current amounts of packaging used. It would not hurt your brand; in fact, showing that you care for and respect the environment in which you work can only help your business.

I look forward to your reply and thank you so much for your time.

Sincerely,
RHS

(If anyone can get their hands on their corporate mailing address, can you pass it along?--> Thanks!)