Quesada Burritos & Tacos has announced it will become Canada's first Mexican chain to phase out foil and package its burritos using biodegradable paper. This translates to diverting about 100,000 pounds of aluminum, or 12.5 million foil wraps, from landfills over the next 5 years, according to Quesada Burritos & Tacos.

Traditionally, burritos everywhere are wrapped in aluminum foil packaging. However, aluminum takes about 400 years to break down. Furthermore, one ton of it takes about 170 million BTUs to produce — or approximately 1,400 gallons of gasoline — and emits about 12 tons of greenhouse gases.

“We’re working hard to be more sustainable, while also hopefully influencing and empowering our community of fans and loyal customers to do the same,” says Steve Gill, founder and CEO, Quesada Burritos & Tacos.  

While Quesada already donates 1% of the sales of its Beyond Meat burrito to support the David Suzuki Foundation through its commitment to 1% for the planet, it's seeking further donations until April 30 — by expanding charitable menu items to include all of its plant-based menu items, like its popular Roasted Veggie Burrito.

“Canadians care about protecting the environment, but, per capita, research shows we are among the most wasteful nations in the world,” says David Suzuki, foundation director of development and strategic partnerships, Siobhan Aspinall. “The good news is when companies make changes toward more sustainable ways of business, it encourages consumers to think about how their purchasing decisions affect our planet.”

For more information, visit quesada.ca.