At the beginning of August, Burger King released the Impossible Whopper in every location across the United States, making vegan food more accessible and helping save the planet and animals in the process. Now, the United Kingdom chain is taking things a step further by announcing it’s ditching the plastic toys in all its kids meals.
Between September 19 and September 30, customers can bring their old plastic toys (from any fast-food chain, not just BK!) to Burger King UK locations to be recycled. In doing so, they’ll be rewarded with a free junior meal. And what will the company be doing with all that plastic, you ask? It will all be melted down and turned into a “new way to play.”
While the #BKMeltdown is currently only going down across the pond, other chains are following suit. At select McDonald’s restaurants across the UK and Ireland, customers will have the chance to switch out their plastic toy for a bag of fruit. Then starting in 2020, a trial will begin that offers either a toy or a book with every Happy Meal.
Instead of continuing to produce plastic toys that will only wind up in landfills, fast-food chains are starting to do their part to help the planet—and hopefully those in the United States will follow suit.