Sustainability and Happy Meal
Introduction
"Society is living beyond its means. We are about to dispossess the earth of capital assets in the space of a few lifetimes through patterns of exploitation. These patterns are devastating the natural environment upon which we depend for our long-term survival." Architects for Social Responsibility http://www.nps.gov/dsc/d_publications/d_1_gpsd_1_ch1.htm
The past 20 years have seen a growing realisation that our current model of development is unsustainable. In other words, we are living beyond our means. From the loss of biodiversity with the destruction of rainforests or over fishing, to the negative effect our consumption patterns are having on the environment and the climate. Our way of life is placing an increasing burden on the planet and unless we start to make real progress towards reconciling these problems, we face a future that is less certain and less secure. Sustainable development refers to "development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" and is seen as the step towards which society has to take. Design is utterly crucial towards achieving this - helping us rethink how we can deliver products and their benefits without decimating the world around us. http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/what/index.htm
The following design brief will look at how McDonald's can incorporate the concept of sustainable design in it's business. The idea is to redesign the concept of the "Happy Meal", paticularly the Happy Meal toy, so it's less wastefull and helps promote the concept of sustainability to our children, the generation of the future.
The Problem
Currently McDonald's is not viewed as an "ethical" company. This is reinforced by the fact that in 2006 we were voted as the least ethical company by British consumers, putting us ahead of companies such as Nike, Shell and Nestle. McDonald's has suffered dreadful publicity in recent years, thanks in
"Society is living beyond its means. We are about to dispossess the earth of capital assets in the space of a few lifetimes through patterns of exploitation. These patterns are devastating the natural environment upon which we depend for our long-term survival." Architects for Social Responsibility http://www.nps.gov/dsc/d_publications/d_1_gpsd_1_ch1.htm
The past 20 years have seen a growing realisation that our current model of development is unsustainable. In other words, we are living beyond our means. From the loss of biodiversity with the destruction of rainforests or over fishing, to the negative effect our consumption patterns are having on the environment and the climate. Our way of life is placing an increasing burden on the planet and unless we start to make real progress towards reconciling these problems, we face a future that is less certain and less secure. Sustainable development refers to "development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" and is seen as the step towards which society has to take. Design is utterly crucial towards achieving this - helping us rethink how we can deliver products and their benefits without decimating the world around us. http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/what/index.htm
The following design brief will look at how McDonald's can incorporate the concept of sustainable design in it's business. The idea is to redesign the concept of the "Happy Meal", paticularly the Happy Meal toy, so it's less wastefull and helps promote the concept of sustainability to our children, the generation of the future.
The Problem
Currently McDonald's is not viewed as an "ethical" company. This is reinforced by the fact that in 2006 we were voted as the least ethical company by British consumers, putting us ahead of companies such as Nike, Shell and Nestle. McDonald's has suffered dreadful publicity in recent years, thanks in