Three fast food giants have been fined after individual outlets in Melbourne allowed cooking oil and waste liquids to enter storm drains.
Victoria’s Environment Protection Authority said it had written to the head offices of McDonald’s, Hungry Jacks, and KFC after the pollution reports.
A KFC outlet in Moonee Ponds was fined $5769 after a staff member was photographed allowing the contents of a container to spill out the shop’s back door and down into the drain, the watchdog said.
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The store was also fined $1920 for littering offences.
“KFC Australia takes its responsibilities regarding environmental protection seriously and has spoken with the restaurant to reiterate that our industry-safe processes need to be followed,” a KFC spokesperson said.
“While this was a one-off incident, we are communicating to all our restaurants to ensure best practice is adhered to and issues like this don’t happen again.”
A Hungry Jacks store in Preston did not manage its waste liquids, including cooking oil, the EPA said, which was released into stormwater drains.
The store was issued an improvement notice and fined $3846.
“Earlier this year, staff at Hungry Jack’s Preston restaurant observed a spill from a leaking waste oil collection tank and immediately conducted a clean-up followed by further remedial action,” a spokesperson said.
“The Victorian Environmental Protection Agency fined Hungry Jack’s for this breach.
“Hungry Jack’s acted responsibly, undertaking additional precautions, which included moving the waste oil collection tank inside the restaurant away from the stormwater drain.
“The company reinforced to staff the rigorous maintenance routine for waste oil storage and collection and strict oil spillage protocols.
“Hungry Jack’s has an agreement with AUSCOL, Australia’s leading waste oil collection service, to collect and recycle all cooking oil from every restaurant.”
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And a McDonald’s outlet in Kingsbury was fined $3846 after their staff were found allowing waste oil to escape to the stormwater drain rather than putting it into the collection tank, the EPA said.
A McDonald’s spokesperson said the incident, which took place in March, has been resolved.
“This was an isolated incident, and every McDonald’s restaurant is required to use the systems in place to dispose of waste oil correctly,” the spokesperson said.
“We take our responsibility as a local business extremely seriously and understand how important it is to do the right thing for our people, communities and the environment.”
”Everyone has a duty to protect the environment. Oil and cooking wastes do not belong in our drain networks,” EPA West Metropolitan regional manager Steve Lansdell said.
“Major fast food franchises should have controls in place and their staff should be trained to understand how to manage their waste.”
Lansdell said the EPA had contacted the Australian offices for all three chains, as well as the franchise holders’ offices.
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“We’ll also raise the issue of litter management as well with too many reports of wrappers and drink containers not being properly disposed of and contained at the site,” he said.
“They have a responsibility to manage the environmental issues created by the sale of their product and that includes its packaging.”
9news.com.au has contacted Hungry Jacks, for comment.
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