In the fast-paced world of fast food promotions, McDonald’s Happy Meals have long been a staple for families, offering affordable meals bundled with fun toys or collectibles. However, recent collaborations, particularly those involving high-demand items like Pokémon cards, have sparked widespread controversy. What was intended as a delightful treat for children has turned into a chaotic spectacle of scalping, food waste, and ethical dilemmas. A former McDonald’s employee in Japan has voiced strong concerns, suggesting it’s time for the company to rethink its approach. “Should we just stop this?” she questions, highlighting the “hellish” situation for store staff and the broader implications for society. This article delves into the recent Pokémon card Happy Meal promotion in Japan, explores its background, impacts, and offers unique insights on how McDonald’s could address these recurring issues.
The Recent Pokémon Card Happy Meal Debacle
The latest uproar began on August 9, 2025, when McDonald’s Japan launched a limited-time promotion: for three days, customers purchasing a Happy Meal would receive exclusive Pokémon trading cards as a bonus. Featuring a special Pikachu card and one of five other promo cards, the offer was tied to Japan’s Obon holiday period, aiming to capitalize on family outings and Pokémon’s enduring popularity. However, the promotion barely lasted 24 hours before McDonald’s announced an early end due to “higher-than-expected sales,” issuing an apology to disappointed fans.
Scalpers descended on stores en masse, buying dozens—or even hundreds—of Happy Meals solely for the cards, which quickly appeared on resale sites like eBay and Mercari at inflated prices. Reports emerged of individuals ordering via mobile apps to bypass in-store limits, accumulating stacks of meals only to discard the food untouched. Viral photos and videos showed piles of uneaten burgers, fries, and drinks abandoned in trash bins or even left outside stores, amplifying public outrage over food waste. One X post captured the sentiment: “The food waste was out of control. People would buy Happy Meals, keep the cards, toss the food.”
A former employee, who worked as an assistant manager at a McDonald’s store until recently, shared her insights in an interview. Although she had left before this specific promotion, she wasn’t surprised by the chaos. “The moment I heard about distributing Pokémon cards with Happy Meals, I thought, ‘This is going to be hell. The staff will suffer so much.’ It felt like the same old problems repeating without any real improvements,” she said. Her experiences from previous collaborations painted a vivid picture of the on-ground realities.
Background: A History of Happy Meal Collaborations and Controversies
McDonald’s Happy Meals, introduced in 1979, were designed to appeal to children with themed toys, often tied to popular franchises like Disney, Star Wars, or Pokémon. In Japan, where collectible culture thrives—think anime, manga, and trading cards—these promotions have become massive events. Pokémon, in particular, has a storied history with McDonald’s. The first major collaboration dates back to the early 2000s, but recent ones have escalated in intensity due to the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) boom, fueled by influencers, collectors, and the pandemic-era hobby surge.
This isn’t an isolated incident. Earlier in 2025, a Chiikawa (a popular Japanese manga character) Happy Meal collaboration caused similar mayhem. Released in May, the toys sold out in days, with scalpers bulk-ordering and leaving behind mountains of wasted food. Videos showed employees dumping trays of untouched meals, sparking debates on social media about waste and xenophobia, as some blamed foreign resellers. In February, a Kirby-themed set ended sales the day after launch, and May’s Minecraft and Chiikawa combos faced early terminations due to overwhelming demand.
Going further back, the 2023 Hello Kitty 50th anniversary promotion saw groups buying up to 20 sets, raising questions about whether the food was even consumed. Even in the U.S., a 2021 Pokémon 25th anniversary Happy Meal led to scalpers exploiting loopholes, buying entire boxes of cards for resale at prices exceeding $1,500. McDonald’s responded by urging stores to limit sales, but the damage was done.
These patterns reveal a systemic issue: McDonald’s leverages hype around limited-edition items to drive sales, but underestimates—or perhaps ignores—the resale market’s voracity. Platforms like eBay and Facebook Marketplace exacerbate this, with little regulation on scalped goods. In Japan, where Pokémon TCG is a cultural phenomenon with tournaments and dedicated stores, the allure is even stronger. The 2025 Dragon Discovery set in the U.S. saw cards reselling for minimal value post-hype, but during the frenzy, prices soared.
The Impacts: From Food Waste to Broader Societal Harm
The consequences of these promotions extend far beyond disappointed kids. First and foremost is food waste. Globally, food loss contributes to about 8-10% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UN. In Japan, where food waste is already a concern—estimated at 5.2 million tons annually—the sight of discarded Happy Meals is particularly jarring. During the Pokémon promo, one location alone generated piles of waste from scalped meals, as shared on X. This not only wastes resources but also burdens staff with cleanup and disposal.
Economically, scalping distorts markets. Cards meant to be free bonuses end up costing collectors hundreds, pricing out genuine fans—often children. The former employee noted, “It’s heartbreaking to see items not reaching the kids who really want them.” Resale profits fuel a black market, with some scalpers recruiting “food fighters” via Chinese apps to eat the meals, avoiding waste but still exploiting the system.
Socially, these events erode trust in McDonald’s. Once seen as a family-friendly brand, it’s now criticized for prioritizing profits over ethics. The former staffer lamented, “It makes the company look like they’ll do anything for money. We discussed among crew, ‘Is selling anything okay?'” Public backlash on platforms like X and Reddit highlights xenophobic undertones, with blame often directed at “foreign scalpers,” though locals participate too. This divides communities and amplifies anti-resale sentiments.
Environmentally, the plastic toys and cards add to pollution if discarded improperly. While McDonald’s has sustainability goals—like reducing waste by 50% by 2030—these promotions contradict them. The irony? Pokémon itself promotes themes of harmony with nature, yet tie-ins lead to ecological harm.
Unique Perspectives: Corporate Greed, Consumer Behavior, and Cultural Nuances
From my analysis, this fiasco underscores a clash between corporate marketing strategies and consumer greed. McDonald’s isn’t naive; they know hype sells. But by creating artificial scarcity—limited runs, exclusive items—they invite scalping. It’s a calculated risk: short-term sales spikes versus long-term reputational damage. The former employee hits the nail on the head: “Riding trends is fine, but when it always comes with resale issues, it’s a recipe for trouble.”
Consumer behavior plays a role too. In a collector-driven era, fueled by social media unboxings and FOMO (fear of missing out), people justify bulk buys. Yet, discarding food is “the lowest of the low,” as the ex-staffer put it. This reflects broader societal issues: materialism over mindfulness. In Japan, where “mottainai” (waste not) is a cultural value, such waste feels especially offensive.
Uniquely, consider the psychological impact on children. Happy Meals are marketed as joyful experiences, but when toys are scalped, kids learn early about inequality and greed. Parents face pressure to hunt for items, turning fun into frustration. From a global view, this mirrors scalping in other industries—like concert tickets or sneakers—where bots and apps outpace humans.
Moreover, there’s an international angle. While Japan sees intense local demand, foreign tourists and expats contribute, sometimes leading to cultural clashes. X posts accused Chinese scalpers of ignoring limits, but this oversimplifies; resale is a global problem. McDonald’s could learn from brands like LEGO, which combats scalping with purchase limits and anti-bot measures.
Proposed Solutions: Beyond Band-Aid Fixes
The former employee and crew often brainstormed fixes, acknowledging the challenges. Age restrictions or requiring kids present sound ideal but are impractical—verifying IDs slows operations, and lying is easy. “It’s rude to question customers,” she noted.
Her innovative idea: eliminate resale value by over-supplying. “Prepare enough for two weeks, make it non-limited. If everyone can buy, why resell? Even if some is leftover, it’s better than waste.” This aligns with economic principles: flood the market to crash secondary prices.
Other suggestions include:
- Digital Alternatives: Offer virtual Pokémon cards via apps, reducing physical waste. Tie-ins with Pokémon GO could engage kids without toys.
- Lottery or Pre-Order Systems: Shift to online draws or reservations, ensuring fair distribution. Though, as she said, this might stray from Happy Meal’s spontaneity.
- Decoupled Promotions: Sell toys/cards separately at a premium, donating proceeds to charity. Or, as she proposed, tone down collabs: “Stick to packaging designs instead of baiting with extras.”
- Platform Partnerships: Pressure resale sites to ban McDonald’s items during promos. eBay has done this for PS5 scalping; why not here?
- Sustainability Mandates: Require buyers to eat on-site for bulk orders, or partner with food banks to redistribute uneaten meals.
McDonald’s headquarters must lead; local stores can’t handle this alone. The ex-staffer urged: “Stop collabs that invite trouble. Chiikawa was resold-heavy; why repeat with Pokémon?”
Conclusion: Time for McDonald’s to Evolve
This Pokémon Happy Meal saga is a wake-up call. While collaborations boost buzz, they can’t come at the cost of ethics, environment, and equity. The former employee’s plea—”Should we just stop?”—echoes a growing chorus. McDonald’s, with its global reach, has a social responsibility to innovate responsibly.
