Kickstart: Capturing nostalgia in a plastic glass

McDonald's is tapping into customers' nostalgia for collectible glasses, but this time featuring plastics.

The global fast-food chain will begin selling a Collector's Meal starting Aug. 13 that comes with cups made using Tritan from Eastman Chemical Co. that are illustrated with past collectible items such Grimace, Jurassic Park, Peanuts, Hot Wheels and other branded toys offered as giveaways at McDonald's restaurants from the 1980s to early 2000s.

"These new collectible cups commemorate some of our most unforgettable designs and global collaborations over the years, allowing longtime fans to relive treasured moments and helping a new generation make their own lasting memories," Morgan Flatley, global chief marketing officer and head of new business ventures at McDonald's, said in a news release.

If you're of a certain age, then you probably had a favorite glass from a fast-food restaurant — or perhaps they filled the cupboard of your first post-college apartment — although they were phased out as popularity fell. And, of course, they broke easily.

U.S. customers will receive plastic cups. Other markets will be offered embossed glass, our sister paper Advertising Age reports.

In 2016, Plastics News' Steve Toloken spent some time with the San Antonio Estuarine Waterkeepers, a group of environmentalists who scour Lavaca Bay and other waterways to document any plastics that escape from Formosa Plastics Corp. USA's plant in Point Comfort, Texas. You can find more from Steve about the visit and the group's work here.

The group was led by Diane Wilson, a former shrimper who has patrolled the waters in search of plastics since 2016. On Aug. 2, Wilson joined about 75 other activists to protest at Formosa's administration offices near Livingston, N.J., calling for a halt to expansion plans for Point Comfort along with a proposal for a new plant in Louisiana.

As PN's Catherine Kavanaugh writes, Wilson went so far as to chain herself to the gates outside the office. She was among six protestors who refused to leave when ordered and she was arrested.

The action did not have any direct impact on the company. It knew of the planned protest and had told employees to stay home for the day.

ProAmpac wants to see people pick paper rather than plastic when they shop for toilet paper.

The Cincinnati-based packaging maker has commercialized a paper-based overwrap for toilet paper multipacks that can replace the stretch film currently standard for the market. The ProActive Recyclable RP-1050 product line can be recycled in curbside recycling programs, while film must be collected and taken to recycling collection sites.

The paper wrap is water-resistant and can be printed to meet brand owners' requirements, the company says.