Stop giving children Happy Meal toys, McDonald’s told
MCDONALD’S should stop giving away plastic toys with its Happy Meals, an environment minister has said.
Therese Coffey said children play with the toys for only five minutes – but they take five centuries to degrade.
At a fringe event at the conference, she called on the fast food firm and other companies to make ‘symbolic changes’ to show they are reducing single-use plastics.
She said: ‘I desperately want McDonald’s to give up their Happy Meal toys and change them to be all about what can you do on your iPad or smart phone, rather than a piece of plastic.
‘There are certain things we can get companies to do that I think would be a symbolic change.’
Ministers have taken action to cut plastic waste, and the Mail’s Turn the Tide on Plastic campaign has led to curbs.
McDonald’s is one of a number of large companies which have already promised to replace plastic straws with paper straws in all its UK branches. Starbucks has also pledged to ban plastic straws by 2020.
A McDonald’s spokesman said: ‘The reduction and use of plastics is a hugely important issue.
‘We are committed to reducing our environmental impact and we can, and want to, be part of the solution – for example with our move from recyclable plastic straws to paper.
‘We know that our Happy Meal toys provide fun for children and families playing in our restaurants, but also provide many more fun-filled hours at home too.’