McDonald’s Happy Meal Toys to Go Green Globally by 2025

Customers using mobile phones, are seen through the windows of a McDonald's store in Tokyo, Japan July 22, 2016. (Reuters)
Customers using mobile phones, are seen through the windows of a McDonald's store in Tokyo, Japan July 22, 2016. (Reuters)
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McDonald’s Happy Meal Toys to Go Green Globally by 2025

Customers using mobile phones, are seen through the windows of a McDonald's store in Tokyo, Japan July 22, 2016. (Reuters)
Customers using mobile phones, are seen through the windows of a McDonald's store in Tokyo, Japan July 22, 2016. (Reuters)

McDonald’s Corp said on Tuesday it will drastically cut the use of plastic in the more than 1 billion children’s toys it sells globally each year by the end of 2025.

The change involves swapping out a plastic figurine of Batman, for example, for one made with a dozen cardboard pieces that kids can put together themselves.

More toys will also be made from recycled or plant-based plastics, McDonald’s said. The changes will allow the Chicago-based company to cut its use of virgin fossil fuel-based plastic for Happy Meals by 90% compared with 2018.

McDonald’s is one of many restaurant chains aiming to reduce environmental harm from packaging and other products.

Burger King, a unit of Restaurant Brands International Inc, said in 2019 that it would stop giving out free plastic toys to kids and that customers could return existing ones to be melted down and used as trays and other items.

McDonald’s, which started selling Happy Meals in 1979, shifted to more sustainable toys in the UK, Ireland and France in 2018.

Some similar toys will soon make their way to the more than 100 other countries where Happy Meals are sold.

In the United States, McDonald’s is already using some sustainable toys, including books and Pokemon collectible cards.

More such toys will hit the US market in January, said Amy Murray, vice president of global marketing enablement. The revamped Happy Meals will not cost franchisees more money, she said.



Kate, Princess of Wales, to Present Women's Singles Trophy at Wimbledon

Britain’s Kate, Princess of Wales awaits the arrival of France’s President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron in Windsor, England, Tuesday July 8, 2025, on the first day of a three-day state visit to Britain. (Chris Jackson/Pool via AP)
Britain’s Kate, Princess of Wales awaits the arrival of France’s President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron in Windsor, England, Tuesday July 8, 2025, on the first day of a three-day state visit to Britain. (Chris Jackson/Pool via AP)
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Kate, Princess of Wales, to Present Women's Singles Trophy at Wimbledon

Britain’s Kate, Princess of Wales awaits the arrival of France’s President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron in Windsor, England, Tuesday July 8, 2025, on the first day of a three-day state visit to Britain. (Chris Jackson/Pool via AP)
Britain’s Kate, Princess of Wales awaits the arrival of France’s President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron in Windsor, England, Tuesday July 8, 2025, on the first day of a three-day state visit to Britain. (Chris Jackson/Pool via AP)

Kate, the Princess of Wales, is set to present the trophy to the winner of the women's singles final at Wimbledon on Saturday after opting not to attend the match last year while she was recovering from cancer.

The All England Club said Kate, the wife of Prince William, will be back in the Royal Box on Center Court for the match between eighth-seeded Iga Swiatek and No. 13 Amanda Anisimova. She will then take part in the on-court trophy presentation, The AP news reported.

Kate has been the patron of the All England Club since 2016 and has regularly attended the men's and women's finals. However, she was not there when Barbora Krejcikova defeated Jasmine Paolini for the women's title last year.

She did hand the trophy to Carlos Alcaraz after his victory over Novak Djokovic in the men's final, when she made only her second public appearance since announcing she was diagnosed with cancer.

She has been gradually returning to public duties since since announcing last fall that she had completed chemotherapy, and took part in welcoming French President Emmanuel Macron during his state visit to Britain this week.