Thanks to two little girls, McDonald’s and Burger King have said goodbye to plastic toys offered with their “children’s” menus. Instead, coloring books, cardboard toys, trading cards…
In 2019, two sisters, Ella (7 years) and Caitlin (9 years) McEwan, took exception to the plastic toys offered in the children’s menus of fast-food chains. “Children only play with the plastic toys they are given for a few minutes. Afterwards, they throw them away, they hurt the animals and pollute the seas”, summarized the girls, who declared themselves “very sad” about this situation. The two sisters explained that they had understood “thanks to school” the harmful effects of plastic on the environment and its impact on wildlife and the oceans. Their awareness (and position) had then taken the form of an online petition, which will collect nearly 500 000 signatures in a few weeks.
An appeal heard by the big fast-food companies
One year later, the McEwan sisters’ appeal was heard by the fast food giants. The first has decided to replace plastic games with books, board games or objects made of other materials. The latter has indicated that it will “test” the discontinuation of plastic toys in certain restaurants, while working on the development of more ecological solutions. The decision will be taken in 2020 in the UK.
In France, plastic toys will be removed from children’s menus in 2021. A decision taken in anticipation of the anti-waste law for a circular economy (effective January 1, 2022), which includes a ban on these plastic toys.
#boycott, #bashing, #Happymeals, #youthforclimate,
