We've had a play

Happy Meal® Toys have been providing children with hours of play time over the past 39 years in Ireland, 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.

Super Mario and Yoshi on a circular toy that has a star on top of the toy. Princess Peach on a star toy that has a star on top of the toy

The Science Bit

We’re using the Mass Balance approach for some of our Happy Meal® toys to help ensure they’re robust enough to last for hours of playtime. This move towards using the Mass Balance approach is part of 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*. This process is a little complicated, so let us explain the key stages involved...

Women in a lab coat holding two lab flasks and pouring yellow and blue liquid into a beaker labelled Toy Mix on a yellow background

Sourcing

To create the plastic material businesses like us need, our suppliers mix fossil-fuel materials, and renewable or recycled raw materials, such as used cooking oil. We then use this to make some of our iconic Happy Meal® toys.
 

A certificate with a women in a lab coat signing the certificate on a yellow background

Producing

Our suppliers provide us with certificates to confirm the amount of renewable materials we’ve purchased when it comes to making some of our toys.

Women in a lab coat holding a clipboard labelled test with a green tick in a green bubble on a yellow background

Testing

Our toys are rigorously tested, to ensure quality and safety remain at the heart of everything we do, while continuously improving our manufacturing process.

© 2026 McDonald’s. Happy Meal and the Happy Meal box design are trade marks of McDonald’s Corporation and its affiliates.

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*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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