In April, New York City artist and photographer Sally Davies bought a McDonald’s Happy Meal and set out to see what happened to it over time. She photographed it daily and learned that other than becoming hard as a rock, time seemed to have little effect.
The McDonald’s Happy Meal is reportedly so resilient that although it has shriveled a bit, it now glistens like plastic. Davies is a vegan, but wonders about the advisability of ingesting food that doesn’t decompose.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Fast Food Sustainability
- Exploring sustainable and environmentally-friendly alternatives for fast food packaging and production in response to growing concerns about waste and pollution.
- Food Preservation Innovation
- Developing innovative methods to preserve food that could eliminate the need for preservatives, leading to healthier and longer-lasting food products.
- Consumer Consciousness on Food Choices
- Increasing awareness and scrutiny of food products, pushing for transparency and ethical standards in the fast food industry.
Where This Applies
- Fast Food
- Fast food companies can innovate in sustainable packaging and production methods to reduce their environmental footprint.
- Food Manufacturing
- Research and development in food preservation methods could create new opportunities for food manufacturing companies to provide longer-lasting and healthier options.
- Consumer Goods
- Rising consumer awareness of food products highlights the need for transparency and ethical standards in the food industry, creating opportunities for consumer goods companies to differentiate their brand through social responsibility and sustainability initiatives.
