The fast food giant revealed plans for its second restaurant in the county shortly before Christmas.
McDonald’s would join a Starbucks drive-thru, Greggs, Subway and petrol filling station at Macmerry Services, just off the A1.
However, the proposals, which it is claimed could create up to 100 jobs, have not won favour with the Tranent Wombles.
The group, which is run by volunteers, was set up during lockdown to pick litter.
Since then, they have collected nearly 7,500 bags of litter plus fly-tipped items from Tranent and the surrounding area.
And they fear that the amount of litter would get worse if the proposals got the green light from East Lothian Council.
In an objection sent to the local authority’s planning department, they said: “In our experience, a significant proportion of the litter we pick up is from drive-thrus, which has been clearly discarded from cars after the items have been consumed at some distance from the drive-thru.
“When a drive-thru opens in the local area, we see a resulting increase in litter from this business, which then continues.”
The objection points to the opening of drive-thru coffee shops in Haddington and at Gladsmuir as examples of litter increasing following the opening of such a business.
They added: “We already collect a large amount of litter from existing McDonald’s restaurants, which we think are likely to be coming from one of their 24-hour drive-thrus in Dunbar, Dalkeith, Fort Kinnaird or Seafield Road.
“With drive-thru restaurants causing proportionately more litter than drive-thru cafés, we anticipate with some dismay approval being given to this application.
“We ask East Lothian Council to revisit and refuse the application on the grounds that it will increase the amount of litter and that the East Lothian population are already well served by similar establishments.
“Our view is that, given what we already know about the litter caused by the existing drive-thrus, it is irresponsible for East Lothian Council to give this application planning approval.”
It is understood that litter-picking groups in nearby Macmerry and Pencaitland are also set to raise concerns about the potential increase in litter.
According to the plans, from McDonald’s Restaurants Ltd, the business would be open 24 hours a day.
The application also notes that recycling and waste facilities would be provided across the site.
According to the developers: “The restaurant is expected to employ approximately 100 staff once the development is completed and operational, comprising approximately 70 full-time equivalent (‘FTE’) job roles for local residents.
“The proposed development would therefore bring significant economic and social benefits through job creation and training opportunities.”
A target date for a decision on the application has been set for the end of January.