Japan is well-known for its cleanliness and high public cleanliness standards. Now it faces a more unexpected challenge—food wastage has skyrocketed at McDonald’s restaurants across the country. A similar concept came to life with last month’s promotion of Pokémon-themed Happy Meals, which attracted monumental fervor from followers of the internationally beloved franchise. This problem came about due to that enthusiasm. Unfortunately, the promotion has resulted in wasted meals and a public backlash over the waste created.
Pokémon was created in Japan in 1996. It has since grown into a complex franchise that spans trading card games, video games, movies, and television series. The Pokemania craze has captured the imaginations of children and adults alike across the globe, making for a distinctive sense of nostalgia amongst many Japanese consumers. Between August 9 and 11, McDonald’s Japan staged an exhilarating marketing spectacle. They sold their Happy Meals for only $3.50 (approximately 510 yen) and included a meal, drink, and a limited-edition Pokémon toy!
Almost immediately, the jubilation over the rollout of this exciting promotion turned to dread. People began to scalp Pokémon cards from these Happy Meals on eBay for up to $28 per card. This drove many customers to purchase several meals just to get their hands on the collectibles. Consequently, millions of Happy Meals were left behind or thrown away once their toys were removed. This trend is in sharp contrast to Japan’s world-famous image of clean streets and their practice of waste reduction.
Photographs circulating on social media depict piles of discarded Happy Meals around self-pick-up tables, raising concerns about the environmental impact of such actions. Local residents and environmental advocates are understandably upset. They strongly argue that this behavior contradicts Japan’s cultural standards of cleanliness and respect for resourcefulness.
Given the escalating crisis, McDonald’s Japan released several statements attempting to quell the outrage. In both instances, the company matched these changes with public commitments to focus on making kids and families’ dining experiences even better. They acknowledged the difficulties that this promotion brings.
“The recent situation clearly contradicts our long-held philosophy of providing enjoyable dining experiences for children and families.” – McDonald’s Japan
McDonald’s Japan is serious about keeping people from reselling Happy Meals. Their marketing underscores the zero tolerance policy they claim to have against abandoning or disposing of food. The company apologized for its handling of the increased demand for Pokémon cards. These sold out from many stores previously because sales were much higher than expected.
“We regret to inform you that the distribution of Pokémon cards to customers who purchased the Pokémon Happy Meal…has ended at many stores due to higher than expected sales,” – McDonald’s Japan
Pokémon makes kids happy all over the world, and visitors love how clean Japan is. This incident underscores a more pernicious trend — food waste associated with marketing promotions. The public is still feeding into the demand for more transparency and accountability regarding consumption and disposal habits, especially at the federal level.
