Big Changes Are Coming To McDonald's Iconic McFlurry

McFlurries in the United States will soon look quite a bit different, and not because of any wild new toppings or flavors. McDonald's announced that the company is ditching the traditional plastic lids on top of McFlurry cups in favor of a four-flap paper cup. This style of paper cup is currently used in McDonald's restaurants around the world in places such as Europe, Indonesia, and Canada. According to McDonald's packaging, toys, and waste reports, the company has pledged to "[source] 100% of our primary guest packaging from renewable, recycled or certified materials." McDonald's approached 86.7% of the goal at the end of 2023 and is currently on track to reach 100% by 2025.

This is McDonald's latest venture in attempting to create more sustainable containers and cut down on plastic usage. Last year, McDonald's bid farewell to its McFlurry spoons with similar intentions. The fast food chain also set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, discovering ways to create paper-based kid's toys rather than plastic, and even tested out strawless lids to reduce the need for single-use straws.

In addition to a brand new look, McDonald's customers in the United States will also have a choice between two sizes of McFlurry: Mini and Regular. Beginning on September 10, McDonald's will offer a smaller version of the classic sweet treat for those who just want a bite of dessert without committing to a full cup of the McDonald's soft serve concoction. According to the McDonald's website, the Mini McFlurry serving size is 340 calories for an M&M McFlurry, and 240 calories for an Oreo McFlurry. Both the mini and regular sizes will come in the new flour-flap cup without a plastic lid.

While change can be scary, rest assured that the only thing changing about the McFlurry for now is the outer packaging. The regular size McFlurry will still provide the same amount of tasty ice cream with the traditional mix-ins you know and love, per McDonald's nutritional information. And one thing that definitely hasn't changed is the high likelihood that the ice cream machine at your local McDonald's is probably still "broken".