Reporter Ana Faguy of Politico reached out to CEH for context on McDonald’s announcement its toys will be made from renewable, recycled, or certified materials by the end of 2025. Read the full article here. 

CEH’s Sarah Packer said: “We have a lot of concern about the proliferation of plastics and the use of recyclable plastics that have an unknown supply chain. It’s progress, but it’s not going to necessarily get us where we need to be. It’s still plastic.”

Even with recycled plastics, she said, there are concerns about toxic additives in plastics and the potential harm to children who are handling these toys. The chemicals migrate through the skin and can affect hormones and development, not just in kids but in adults, too.

“We’re in a plastics crisis, ” she said. “We need to really be taking bigger steps.”