From Snoopy and Power Rangers to Hot Wheels and Pokémon, McDonald’s has long provided a jolt 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 in an effort to reduce plastic waste. McDonald’s has pledged to make its Happy Meal Toys from sustainable materials by 2025.
The transition to more renewable, recycled or certified materials for toys is already underway and will result in an approximately 90 percent reduction in virgin fossil fuel-based plastic use against a 2018 baseline. Since 2018, Happy Meal toy innovations underway in markets such as the UK, Ireland and France have already resulted in a 30 percent reduction in plastic use.
Starting now, and phased in across the globe by the end of 2025, our ambition is that every toy sold in a Happy Meal will be sustainable, made from more renewable, recycled, or certified materials like bio-based and plant-derived materials and certified fiber.
The company explains in a statement.
Jenny McColloch, McDonald’s chief sustainability officer said that the next generation of customers care profoundly about protecting the planet and with this transition for sustainably-made toys, the company is working closely with suppliers, families and play experts and engineers to introduce more sustainable, innovative designs and aid the environment.
Image: McDonald’s
According to Sheila Bonini, the senior vice president of private sector engagement at World Wildlife Fund, sustainable material sourcing is a crucial method to eradicate the impact of supply chains on the ecosystems and climate, including the plastic waste crisis.
She further added that the lower demand for fossil fuel plastic will instead “create new markets for responsibly-sourced renewable and recycled content” as the fast-food company can inspire millions of its customers to diminish plastic usage.
Sharon Seah, a climate change researcher in the ASEAN Studies Centre at Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute said that the reduction of plastics in Happy Meals is merely “scratching the surface.” Moreover, McDonald’s could offer more vegan options, or venture into offering plant-based meat in their meals to reduce its beef consumption.
Via: Fast Company