From Mickey Mouse, Goofy to Power Rangers, McDonald’s has long provided a push of joy with its kid-friendly toys inside the iconic Happy Meal.
Now, the fast-food company is making an earth-friendly move toward using sustainable materials to reduce plastic.
Earlier this week, the restaurant company announced its goal that, by the end of 2025, every toy in every Happy Meal sold around the world will be more sustainable and reduce conventional plastic by 90%, thus lowering demand on fossil fuel plastic production.
“Our next generation of customers care deeply about protecting the planet and what we can do to help make our business more sustainable,” said McDonald’s chief sustainability officer, Jenny McColloch, in a statement.
“With this transition for our toys, we’re working closely with suppliers, families and play experts and engineers to introduce more sustainable, innovative designs and help drive demand for recycled materials, to keep McDonald’s communities and beyond smiling for generations to come.
“Since launching in 1979, the Happy Meal has undergone unique menu, ingredient and play innovations. This week’s announcement is the first global environmental sustainability milestone for our beloved toys.”
The company said some of its toys such as “fan-favourite movie characters that used to be plastic figurines may reappear as 3D figures that can be built and decorated”.
Other products such as mini board games with virgin fossil fuel-based plastic game pieces “may be swopped out in favour of accessories made from certified plant-derived or recycled materials”.
By the end of 2025, every toy in every McDonald’s #HappyMeal sold around the 🌍 will be made from more #sustainable materials. We're innovating to create #ToysOfTheFuture from more renewable, recycled or certified materials! https://t.co/x3RbdozTEr pic.twitter.com/yb4wvoqA6m
— McDonald's Corporation (@McDonaldsCorp) September 21, 2021
The news led to a huge reaction from the Twitter community. While some users thought the change was for the better, others complained about the gap of four years before the plan could be brought into full action.
One user wrote: “Four long years ... better than nothing I suppose.”
Another user complained: “Why not sooner? Is there a four-year backlog of toys in a warehouse somewhere?” Another said: “Those toys are nothing but landfills.”