McJunk 700

I photographed so much McDonald's litter on the way back from town this morning, that added to what I found on holiday last week, McJunk now totals over 700 on Flickr. Considering that at the turn of this year the total was just over 500, that's some mass littering going on out there.

I haven't scientifically measured my finds but I am noticing more McJunk about. I could draw parallels between this perceived increase in litter and the fact that McDonald's profits are up on last year. This leads me the question whether people are turning to fast food, (and thus cheaper food), as a more regular meal option as their finances are squeezed even further and general food prices rise? Sure, McDonald's are hit by food price increases as well, but they can still provide cheaper food relative to other suppliers because of their business model. I also wonder whether the fact that some children that are fussy eaters are less likely to turn down a trip to the golden arches than they are to waste food put in front of them in the home. If so, this would certainly make McDonald's a more attractive option to cash strapped parents not wanting to see food they've spent money on go in the bin.

Any research you may stumble across relating to this would be greatly received, post URLs as a comment. Thanks.

Links:
McJunk on Flickr
McDonald's profits rise