There have been calls for several years now from thousands of people who are ready to see fast food giants like McDonald's say goodbye to their plastic children's toys that are given away to millions every year.
One petition that was started on Change.org has already gained more than 330,000 signatures, calling for McDonald's and Burger King to end the use of plastic toys in their kids' meals.
Common concerns about the toys are that they aren't played with for very long, if at all, and those who are calling for the removal are concerned about the impact they might leave on the environment.
Are There Better Options?
McDonald's is already reportedly looking at alternative toy solutions that are more sustainble, and they've introduced books not long ago as an alternative choice to a toy for the children's meal. As the battle against plastic worldwide continues, the pressure and focus on these plastic toys will continue to grow.
In some areas like the U.K., the company will be looking to swap out toys for other options like books and even games, along with soft toy options, for a limited time, to see how their customers prefer those options to the hard plastic toys that are usually offered.
Other restaurants like Burger King might also be looking to soon make a change on their children's toys for the King Junior meals too. You can find kids meals being offered at a variety of restaurant establishments: Dairy Queen, Sonic, Subway, Wendy's, and others.
McDonald's happens to be the largest distributor of toys.
If they make a change to get rid of all or most of the hard plastic options then that is going to have a great impact.
As they've been recently trying to revamp the Happy Meal into a more healthier option for kids, they are still selling a great deal of Happy Meals and toys along with them.
In 2017, it's reported that they sold $10 million worth of Happy Meals every day.
Changing the toys might mean changing the fun and could drive families away to other places, it might mean seeing a decline in sales. However, if it's what people want as they've suggested through the petition, then perhaps they would opt to support the alternative because they'd be happy to see the removal of the plastic. Most people in the U.S. and other areas consume too much processed food regularly and the toys in the kids' packs have always been a big draw for many. Even though they've tried to aggressively pursue and market healthier options on the menu, it hasn't been enough for some to opt for McDonald's over one of the many other options in the market.
McDonald's did recently start serving fresh meat though, and as a result they reportedly saw a boost of 30 percent in sales for quarter pounders.
For now, McDonald's has reaffirmed that they are committed to reducing their plastic use going into the future, though they won't give specific details about any Happy Meal promotions following 2019 just yet on that end.
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The information posted above is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice.
