The Happy McSnack is one of McDonald’s most popular snacks. Focused on children, the line does not only offer the sandwich, but an additional item that attracts the attention of any child: a toy as a gift. However, in Japan things can take a new turn, as the new action convinces children to return their gifts.
In a partnership between Japan’s Ministry of the Environment, the country’s McDonald’s has taken a new step to educate Japanese children about sustainability and waste. Children who won gifts will be able to return the toys they won to recycle them in new trays from the fast food chain.
Check out the promotional video for the project involving McLanche Feliz:
The project only started as a test a few years ago. This year, McDonald’s Japan decided to put it into practice all year round. Customers who wish to participate in the action and return their McLanche Feliz gifts will be able to place them in special collection cans located in all 2,900 branches in the country.
The measure encourages families to exchange their old gifts when they will get a new one while children are educated about sustainability, waste and reuse. Jonathan Kushner, vice president of corporate relations at McDonald’s Japan, commented a little on the measure:
“We are pleased that toy recycling has now become a year-round program with Japanese customer involvement” and added, “It is great to see parents and children in Japan taking the opportunity to think about the environment and get involved in a meaningful conversation through this initiative. “
Delivery trucks returning from restaurants take the collected toys to crushing facilities, where they are broken down into different materials. Part of the plastic is pelleted for use in the production of trays. The remaining materials, including paper and metal, are recycled through other waste streams.
In the first year it was made, McDonald’s collected about 1.27 million old toys, which yielded more than 165,000 trays made from them. The program continued in 2019 and is already considered one of the largest plastic recycling projects in Japan.
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