Sweden had everyone buzzing this spring with its launch of the “world’s smallest McDonald’s”—a miniature replica of the golden arches that doubles as a beehive.
Now, the most sustainable country on the planet is offering insects somewhere to lay their head after a big meal.
McDonald’s restaurants are replacing regular roadside billboards with signs that double as “bee hotels.”
Without pollination from bees, one-third of our food would be threatened, according to the fast-food chain, which already promotes biodiversity with rooftop beehives at some of their franchises.
“It is estimated that 30 percent of Sweden’s wild bees are threatened,” the company said. “A big problem is that they lack places to rest.”
Enter bee hotels: Permanent wood installations with drilled holes in the customizable copy that provide a safe haven for wild bees and other insects.
Happen to be driving through the Stockholm suburb of Järfälla? Keep an eye out for six large bee hotels mounted on the backside of a north-facing billboard.
McDonald’s—also collaborating with outdoor advertising firm JCDecaux to create habitats for bees on the back of unused billboards—hopes to scale up this initiative in the spring of 2020.
“The survival of bees is an important issue for society as a whole. That we can use our signs for a good cause feels great,” Henrik Nerell, environmental manager at McDonald’s in Sweden, said in a statement.
“The initiative, which has sprung from our franchisees’ personal commitment to the issue, has been made possible in collaboration with JCDecaux and we are proud and excited to welcome our flying guests soon as they move into our bee hotels,” he added.
There is no word on whether the project will expand outside the Europeon Union—the second biggest producer of honey after China.
Bees are most comfortable if their nests are in a south facing position (via McDonald’s)
In May, McDonald’s opened the first so-called McHive, featuring two drive-thru windows, a patio and outdoor seating, sleek wood panelling, and advertisements on the windows.
But instead of serving burgers and fries to fast-food fans, it is a fully functioning beehive for thousands of insects, built by Swedish creative agency NORD DDB.
For much of the past decade, beekeepers—primarily in the United States and Europe—have been reporting annual hive losses of 30 percent or higher, substantially more than is considered normal or sustainable. In fact, one in four wild bee species in the US is at risk of extinction.
Widespread use of pesticides, neonicotinoids and GMOs, loss of habitat, and climate change are just some of the threats to bee species.
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