McDonald’s to ‘drastically’ reduce plastics in Happy Meal toys by end of 2025

McDonald’s on Tuesday (21 Sep) announced its ambition to make every Happy Meal toy in the world more sustainable by the end of 2025.

As per the fast-food giant’s press release, this transition to more renewable, recycled or certified materials for toys is already underway and will result in an approximately 90 per cent reduction in virgin fossil fuel-based plastic use.

The toys will be made from materials like bio-based and plant-derived materials and certified fibre.

Jenny McColloch, McDonald’s chief sustainability officer said, “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.”

This transition is underway in the UK and Ireland and complete in France. The brand says these efforts around the world, including these, have resulted already in a 30 per cent reduction in virgin fossil fuel-based plastic use since 2018.