Happy Meals are a much-loved treat for children everywhere, but McDonald’s have announced that a big change is coming.
In an effort to cut down plastic waste, customers can now decide whether or not they want a toy included in their Happy Meal.
In addition to this, McDonald’s are also trialling the option to swap the toy for a fruit bag or a book instead.
Paul Pomroy, CEO of McDonald’s UK and Ireland said: ‘We recognise that some people may not want a plastic Happy Meal toy, but we also know that the gifts provide fun for many families and children.
‘That’s why we’ll be running these trials, in order to give our customers a choice; they also can choose not to have a toy or gift at all.
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Explaining the decision, he added: ‘It’s important we understand what our customers want and we’ll learn a lot from whether they choose a fruit bag or a book over a toy.’
According to The Mirror, McDonald’s bosses are also planning to introduce paper-based toys next year to reduce plastic even more.
Other moves by the fast food chain include replacing plastic straws with paper ones, removing the plastic lids from McFlurrys and stopping single-use plastic in salads.
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In a similar vein, fast food restaurant Burger King have launched their Meltdown campaign which encourages customers to bring their unwanted toys in-store to recycle them.
Marketing Director Katie Evans said: ‘At Burger King we know we can positively contribute to finding new, more sustainable solutions, long term.
‘We’re inviting customers to donate their unwanted plastic toys and working with Pentatonic, we’re excited to give them a fresh start’, Katie added.
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