McDonald's to replace plastic toys in Happy Meals to reduce environmental impact

American fast-food giant, McDonalds is set to replace its famous Happy Meal toys with non-plastic versions from next year as it tries to reduce its environmental impact, a media report said on Tuesday.

The business said that from 2021 Happy Meals will come with a soft toy, a book, or a paper-based toy, the London-based Metro newspaper reported.

The fast-food giant hopes the effort will save more than 3,000 metric tonnes of plastic at its UK business from 2021, which would be its biggest single reduction to date.

The company will start trialling the new toys from May, when parents and children will be offered to swap their plastic toys for a book or paper toy when they buy a meal.

This will let customers choose to opt out of the plastic toys in every outlet.

The company has in the past committed to reducing emissions by 36 per cent by the end of the decade, and to use recycled or renewable materials in all its packaging by 2025, the Metro newspaper said in its report.

The company has removed the lids from its McFlurry ice creams, saving 385 tonnes of plastic, replaced its salad boxes with ones that can be recycled as paper, and rolled-out paper straws last year.