# WSJ Feature: CSB Director Tensie Whelan Discusses McDonald's Shift Towards Sustainability

Center for Sustainable Business

September 23, 2021 ![McDonalds Toys](/sites/default/files/styles/246w/public/assets/images/McDonalds.png?itok=FaK7mAlC) McDonald’s is a big player in the toy market and are making great strides towards making its toys environmentally friendly. CSB Director [Tensie Whelan](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/experience-stern/about/departments-centers-initiatives/centers-of-research/center-sustainable-business/about-csb/our-team/about-tensie-whelan) was featured in the Wall Street Journal’s article “[McDonald’s Plans to Make Happy Meal Toys More Sustainable](https://www.wsj.com/articles/mcdonalds-plans-to-make-happy-meal-toys-more-sustainable-11632234956?page=1),” unveiling that McDonald’s Happy Meals will be made from more sustainable materials by 2025 world-wide. This surprising announcement is a great sign of more companies weaning off plastics.

Along with making their toys more sustainable, they also [recently announced that their goal to be net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050](http://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/mcdonalds-targets-net-zero-emissions-by-2050-meat-energy-2021-10-04/). By making their operations more environmentally friendly and focusing on climate-friendly efforts, McDonalds is a great role model abd can put pressure on other plastic-heavy businesses. Whelan notes, however, that companies often aren’t doing enough in regards to plastic because of limited alternatives.

Excerpt: “More companies need to make commitments to phase out plastic in order to combat greenhouse-gas emissions and waste challenges.”