Sept. 22 (UPI) — Fast food giant McDonald’s announced on Tuesday plans to further reduce the amount of fossil fuel-based plastic in their Happy Meal toys within four years — expanding on sustainability efforts the company started three years ago.
The company said the plan aims to cut out 90% of virgin fossil fuel-based plastics in Happy Meal toys by the end of 2025.
McDonald’s said it’s already cut virgin plastics in Happy Meal toys by 30% since 2018.
Virgin plastic is new plastic made from oil rather than from recycled materials.
The company said some of the toys will be made with plant-derived or recycled materials and others will be changed entirely to discard plastic. The company said it’s also looking to switch from plastic wrapping to plant-based and certified fiber packaging.
McDonald’s sells about 1 billion toys every year in more than 100 countries.
In 2018, McDonald’s tried to entirely remove plastic straws in favor of a more sustainable material, but the move was voted down by shareholders. The same year, the company said that all food packaging would come from green sources by 2025.
