McDonald’s Solution
Using sustainable solutions on McDonald's flagship location to sequester 30,000 pounds of CO2 in the concrete.
McDonald’s Flagship Location and Sustainability
In 2018, Ozinga partnered with Ross Barney Architects on the renovation of McDonald’s iconic flagship Chicago restaurant at Clark and Ontario.
During the design process, McDonald’s was interested in incorporating sustainable elements throughout the structure, including solar panels and energy efficient kitchen and HVAC equipment, so CarbonCure was a natural fit.
CarbonCure technology introduces recycled carbon dioxide gas generated by an ethanol plant in Wisconsin and injects it into Ozinga’s concrete in order to improve its compressive strength and significantly reduce its carbon footprint.
The McDonald’s remodel sequestered about 30,000 pounds of CO2 in the concrete, the equivalent of a 16-acre forest.
“There’s so many environmentally friendly aspects of the design of this project—some are visible, some are not visible . . . but who would think that concrete was also sustainable in reducing CO2 emissions?” said Mike Ceferin, senior lead architect, Global Development Group, McDonald’s Corp.
CarbonCure is a simple way to make your building or project more sustainable and it’s likely to grow in popularity not only in Chicago, but throughout the United States.
“It was so easy to integrate into the design process and into the specifications,” added Ross Barney. “I can’t imagine that it won’t be a really go-to solution for sequestering carbon and making a more sustainable building.”
