McDonald’s and Disney have teamed up for years to release collectible Happy Meal toys. From the iconic Disney World glasses for the 25th anniversary to the new limited-edition toys to celebrate 50 years of magic at Walt Disney World, McDonald’s and Disney have released a variety of collections for fans of all ages.
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Now, it seems that we may no longer see plastic toys as the company has pledged to significantly reduce the use of plastics in its Happy Meal toys worldwide. Instead, McDonald’s will release items such as 3-D paper-based toys, such as Pokémon trading cards. These items are already beginning to roll out in the U.S. market.
This news comes two years after McDonald’s faced major backlash in the United Kingdom over “environmental concerns”.
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Many were wondering if these changes were coming because of the backlash in the United Kingdom, to which Jenny McColloch, McDonald’s chief sustainability officer, noted during a press conference that some changes were made prior to 2019:
“We’ve had innovation in our toys for quite some time,” she said, adding that in some cases the company “started introducing some of these more sustainable materials” as early as 2018. “That said, we’re always listening to our customers and our families, and understanding where we can do better,” she added.
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At the time of publication, McDonald’s is currently giving out the Walt Disney World 50th anniversary toy collection with Happy Meals. The full list of characters included in the collection are as follows:
Celebration Mickey Mouse, Flounder, Timothy Mouse, Abu, Genie, Bambi, Celebration Dale, R2-D2, Celebration Minnie Mouse, Sebastian, Bruni, Tinker Bell, Bo Peep, Cheshire Cat, Miguel, Joe Gardner, Celebration Daisy Duck, Celebration Goofy, Piglet, Lumiere, Frozone, Dory, Dante, BB-8, Celebration Pluto, Lady Tramp, Jaq, Rocket, Edna Mode, Jiminy Cricket, Simba, Winnie The Pooh, Cogsworth, Gus, HeiHei, Mad Hatter, Stitch, Woody, Groot, Olaf, Pua, Pinocchio, Celebration Donald Duck, Dumbo, Pumbaa, Thumper, Celebration Chip, Nemo, and Timon.
Are you happy to see McDonald’s reducing the use of plastics in its Happy Meal toys worldwide? Let us know in the comments below.