Yum! Brands

Yum! Brands is one of the world’s largest restaurant companies, overseeing iconic global brands like KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Habit Burger & Grill. With more than 62,000 restaurants in more than 55 countries and territories, Yum! brings deep expertise in large-scale foodservice operations, packaging systems,̶ and supply-chain logistics—informing practical, high-impact approaches to circularity and sustainable packaging.

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This submission is provided for visibility and comparison only; its inclusion does not imply endorsement by CIRCLE, OPLN, or any other contributor

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Recommendations for Circular Policy & EPR for Packaging Policies:

Ensure Coverage and Simple Operations

Simple Eco-modulation

Prioritize Harmonization

Yum! Brands is a restaurant company based largely on a Franchisor/Franchisee business model.

Recommendations for Policymakers Developing Circular Policy & EPR for Packaging Policies:

1. Ensure broad coverage and simplified program operation, primary obligations should be placed as far upstream as possible. Successful EPR programs operate in the US with obligations primarily applied to manufacturers. Assigning responsibility at the manufacturing level minimizes the need for exemptions and ensures broad, consistent coverage, with enhanced ease of program execution. Similar structures have proven highly effective in other EPR sectors such as electronics and batteries and provide a practical roadmap for packaging.

2. Start with simple eco-modulation. We encourage legislators to consider a simplified, phased approach to packaging EPR design that allows complexity over time. Beginning with broad eco-modulation categories—such as paper and plastic—will drive efficiency, incentivize collaboration, and enable more sustainable, lasting change. A measured three-to-five-year phase-in, starting with a needs assessment, allows the system to mature alongside data collection and market innovation, ensuring that eco-modulation advances in step with operational success and industry capacity. This pragmatic sequencing supports both effective program rollout and long-term environmental impact.

3. Prioritize Harmonization Across States. Today’s patchwork of differing definitions, labeling rules, reporting systems, and fee structures create unnecessary complexity that limits participation, slows innovation, and increases compliance costs, especially for national brands with complex supply chains that oftentimes cross state lines. A more consistent framework would streamline execution, foster stronger public–private partnerships, and enable more efficient scaling of collection and recycling infrastructure. Aligning core elements such as material scope, fee methodology, and reporting standards will ultimately drive better environmental outcomes and more effective use of producer funds.