McD's Hong Kong units to get worms

McDonald's regularly features products in one sector of the globe that probably wouldn't fly anywhere else. Seldom have they been as noteworthy as what the fast-food giant is about to start peddling in Hong Kong. Indeed, the latest McItem has the unique distinction of being both one of the most outlandish ever showcased by the chain, and perhaps the most widely adaptable. And then there's the matter of the production process. How many restaurants crow about having worms on the premises?

Earthworms are crucial to generating the compost that McDonald's will start selling in Hong Kong in a few weeks, according to local media reports. The soil enricher will be generated by feeding food scraps, napkins and certain types of packaging to the worms, which break it down in a process known as vermicomposting. The adoption of the program at eight McDonald's units in Hong Kong will be the largest-ever use of vermicomposting, a U.S. college professor told the international publication The Standard.

A story in the paper said the process is expected to cut the restaurants' output of carbon waste by 80 percent. But that pay-off can only be realized if patrons dispose of their biodegradable materials in a separate container, which, the story said, will require some customer training on McD's part.

Restaurants in the United States are still awakening to ways of making their operation a little greener. Clearly the adoption of environmentally sounder practices has galloped far ahead overseas.

The question is, will we ever see worms being used by McDonald's domestic operations?