Happy meal toys..

[ArrabellaAM]

Right.. I know this might be a bit divisive but...

Anyone else think the new cardboard happy meal toys are absolute crap.
Like dont even bother wasting the cardboard cause it probably won't even make its way to the recycling bin level crap.

I know they've always been a bit naff but at least they were played with.

I know they are reducing single use plastics and all the eco friendly rationale.
I also know I'll be sent straight to hell for letting my child ingest a happy meal.

I remember how amazing the toys were when I was a kid in the 90s. Some amazing ones, they did Little Mermaid one year I was obsessed, so many good themes. I haven’t eaten at Mcdonalds in years and would never knowingly eating it now so I haven’t seen the new versions.

Some amazing ones, they did Little Mermaid one year I was obsessed, so many good themes.

This thread made me think of the little Mermaid ones, I wish I still had them!

We loved our little mermaid toys. Although Ariel would never float upright and Flounder went mouldy.

Ah no way the dinosaur cardboard toys were dead cool.

SpongeBob is a bit iffy.

Beats the shitty David Walliams books any day of the week though.

@Imreaaaaady

Agree completely. Surely it's more wasteful to give out cardboard shite that ends up being recycled after 5 mins of play than a long-lasting plastic toy?

This obsession with reducing plastic has led to a reduction in common sense, imo.

Yeah, the long lasting plastic toy that can be found looooooooong after your footprint on the earth

The dinosaurs were good but the new spongebob ones go straight in the bin without even opening them.

I don't really understand why they are still doing the soft toys as they are hardly likely to be made of something that isn't derived if plastic, so is no better for the environment than the plastic toys.

I'd much rather that they went back to 1 toy design per week (rather than 2+ different ones on offer each week) so you would end up with just 6 in each toy series.

Also I they could easily make it so that you could swap out the toy for a small food item like the fruit.

Maybe they could also collect back in the abandoned toys so that other children could play with them rather than just binning them.

Rubbish. One of my children actually asked for the book instead but we didn’t get it. Mine only wanted the happy meal for the toy. It will be easier to get them to split some nuggets and chips instead now.

Who needs fucking cardboard toys??!

@PegPeople

It’s your children’s planet that is burning and it won’t really affect you as much. So yeah fuck them.

Which would be a very valid point if it was only McDonald's toys causing the mountains of plastic pollution. In reality McDonald's toys are a mere needle in the haystack of plastic waste. Whilst it's a good step to be thinking of more environmentally friendly accompaniments to go alongside a happy meal, in the grand scheme of 'planet burning' it's naive to think it's going to make fuck all difference.

But if we followed this logic nobody would recycle. It’s exactly this unnecessary plastic waste we need to stop - it seems to me like the only reason people can give to keep them is ‘nostalgia’.

The plastic shit on the front of magazines always gets me.
It’s more expensive and is broken after one play,

But if we followed this logic nobody would recycle. It’s exactly this unnecessary plastic waste we need to stop - it seems to me like the only reason people can give to keep them is ‘nostalgia’

I'm not saying we should never make changes to help alter the environmental impact of plastic but it's rediculous to think this alone will be enough and that's why so many rightly see it as a token effort.

Many of the happy meal toys have been used far longer and given far more enjoyment than other toys. So they are not just some nostalgic keepsake.

At the end of the day McDonald's removing plastic toys isn't going to change the world. We should instead be looking at holding those who churn out plastic at much larger rates which doesn't bring anyone any joy even if it is only short lived. Rather than start on a small scale, maybe we should be looking to target bigger producers of plastic waste like excessive packaging waste in shops for example.

In my honest opinion it just feels like McDonald's toys and more recently toys that come with comics have been singled out because they only impact children.

I think it's great that they've committed to no more hard plastic, non-sustainable toys.

Maybe they have a way to go with making these as exciting, but it's a really good start.

@PegPeople

But if we followed this logic nobody would recycle. It’s exactly this unnecessary plastic waste we need to stop - it seems to me like the only reason people can give to keep them is ‘nostalgia’

I'm not saying we should never make changes to help alter the environmental impact of plastic but it's rediculous to think this alone will be enough and that's why so many rightly see it as a token effort.

Many of the happy meal toys have been used far longer and given far more enjoyment than other toys. So they are not just some nostalgic keepsake.

At the end of the day McDonald's removing plastic toys isn't going to change the world. We should instead be looking at holding those who churn out plastic at much larger rates which doesn't bring anyone any joy even if it is only short lived. Rather than start on a small scale, maybe we should be looking to target bigger producers of plastic waste like excessive packaging waste in shops for example.

In my honest opinion it just feels like McDonald's toys and more recently toys that come with comics have been singled out because they only impact children.

Who is saying that’s enough? Are you serious? We need to stop all unnecessary plastic, and McDonalds is a great place to start. And so are toy magazines, they’ve been allowed to produce landfill for far too long.

Your point about singling out things that impact children is ridiculous- McDonalds and the toy magazines don’t give a shit about your children’s happiness, they’re a way to make money and that’s it. That’s the entire purpose. We can so easily live without them.

What’s stopping you targeting shops for their plastic waste? That’s a great thing to do, it’s not either or.

EvilPea I do agree that some of the items that come with magazines are of poor quality. Some however are excellent and part of the price you pay for the magazine (ie the Lego mags, art and craft mags).
However magazine publishing is something that is a dying trade. Many famous and long lived magazines have gone now - because people simply stopped buying them.
If the children's magazines with poor quality toys are still being sold it can be for one reason only - people are buying them. If people stopped then the magazines would stop being published.
If people don't want Happy Meal toys then don't buy a Happy Meal. Just buy a burger, fries and drink - it's the same thing just not in the box.
But people keep buying them.
If we (society) actually want these products to stop we (society) have simply just got to stop buying them.
But people don't stop so the sellers can argue people want these products.

Gutted. I always collected them if they had Snoopy. All those moaning about plastic waste, I assume you only have reusable, washable face masks, never use tissues, don’t use hand gel from plastic bottles, no disposable nappies/wipes??

@ChrissyPlummer

Gutted. I always collected them if they had Snoopy. All those moaning about plastic waste, I assume you only have reusable, washable face masks, never use tissues, don’t use hand gel from plastic bottles, no disposable nappies/wipes??

Do you recycle?

Do you recycle?

I recycle. But that didn't stop my council deciding to suspend recycling services and chuck the recycling in with other waste and send it all to landfill.

@Whinge

Do you recycle?

I recycle. But that didn't stop my council deciding to suspend recycling services and chuck the recycling in with other waste and send it all to landfill.

And what have you done about that?

And what have you done about that?

I've complained, and had a pathetic non apology blaming Covid etc. Not sure what else you expect me to do?

What’s stopping you targeting shops for their plastic waste? That’s a great thing to do, it’s not either or.

Who is saying I don't do anything to try and tackle this problem?

Unfortunately people are much less resistant to change that affects them than change which doesn't. Hence why so many people were cross about banning plastic straws and why excess packaging isn't an issue for many as it would make their lives more difficult but hardly anyone is bothered by toys in happy meals which are only enjoyed by a small group of children.

@Whinge

And what have you done about that?

I've complained, and had a pathetic non apology blaming Covid etc. Not sure what else you expect me to do?

I’m not sure why you brought it up then - it was something you didn’t agree with and complained about. Have you stopped recycling now because your council made a mistake?

According to the ad they still do stuffed toys

I’m not sure why you brought it up then - it was something you didn’t agree with and complained about. Have you stopped recycling now because your council made a mistake?

I bought it up because even though a person may be doing the right thing by recycling, it doesn't mean their actions are beneficial as they may be undone by others.

I love the books - but they NEVER have them in? It’s like they offer the choice between a toy and a book but never ever have the other option.
The cardboard toys are shite, I agree, the dinosaurs were alright, but the spongebob things fell apart. Wish they would either put a book in there or