Care BearsTM Happy Meal® Toys 

Our plush Happy Meal® toys are made using rPET fabric as a result of the material trials we began in 2025. 

We've had a play

Happy Meal® Toys have been providing children with hours of play time over the past 39 years in the UK, and we want to ensure the toys and books we offer are fun, engaging and durable.

That’s why we’re testing a new approach to help us choose the right material for the right toy.

This move is the latest in an ongoing journey, and we are committed to continuing our research and development to find the best possible materials that produce great toys, while helping us work towards our global sustainability goals.

The Science Bit

You might not see the difference, but it’s there. Our plush toys are now made using rPET – a recycled plastic material. PET stands for polyethylene terephthalate, which is commonly used to make water bottles and polyester fabrics. By using recycled PET in our toy fabrics, we’re helping to give plastic a second life – supporting our wider goal to drastically reduce plastics in Happy Meal® toys around the globe and transition to more sustainable materials by the end of 2025*. Here’s how it all works…

Recycled, not new

We use rPET, created from recycled plastic bottles, to make the body fabric and stuffing for these toys (excludes stitching and label). It’s designed to be soft, durable and perfect for play.

Same softness, fresh thinking 

They’re just as cuddly and colourful as ever, but now they’re made with materials that have been given a new purpose.

A small change, a good one

We’re rethinking what goes into our toys, one plush at a time – using recycled plastic fabrics to help reduce waste and support our goal to transition our Happy Meal® toys to more sustainable materials by the end of 2025*.

Image of toys in a circular border with an arrow pointing to another circular border containing books.

Be a Wastebuster!

In the UK, we’ve teamed up with Wastebuster through the Recycle to Read programme to encourage families to rehome unwanted toys once they’ve finished playing with them, or recycle any old or broken small hard plastic toys.

Recycle to Read is a collective initiative that is building a new system for recycling plastic toys, while giving books to schools to support children’s literacy. Simply scan the QR code on one of the Recycle to Read collection bins to log your recycling, and you’ll earn Planet Care Points for registered schools that help them get free books. Find your nearest recycling point in the UK on the link below!

Find Out More

McDonald’s Happy Meal® Service Messages   

Water

The Nestle® PureLife® Spring Water (Still) 250ml bottled water advertised as a choice of drink included with each Happy Meal is only available in restaurants in Great Britain. Deep RiverRock™ 250ml bottled water is available as a substitute in restaurants in Northern Ireland.

End date

Until 4th November.  From 11am. Includes one pre-selected book or toy. Range items available at different times, whilst stocks last.  Separate sales are limited, and Fair Ordering Policy applies. See mcdonalds.co.uk/happymeal. Bottled water may vary.

© 2025 geobra Brandstätter 

© 2025 McDonald’s. Happy Meal and the Happy Meal box design are trade marks of McDonald’s Corporation and its affiliates.

Care BearsTM and related trademarks: TM & © 2025 Those Characters From Cleveland, LLC. 

Any changes to advertised services will be announced on this page (mcdonalds.co.uk/happymeal). Data charges may apply when accessing online content. Digital devices are not included.

*For plant-based plastics to be considered sustainable for McDonald’s, a minimum of 60% of plastic weight is required to come from recycled or renewable content or a combination of recycled and renewable content.

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