Close×

McDonald's Canada has turned its cardboard drink trays into portable speakers for smartphones as part of a limited release at a beach on Toronto.

Through a partnership with the University of Waterloo’s Audio Research Group and industry design company Stacklab, the McDonald’s Boombox was created with no electronics involved. 

mcdonalds-boombox-recyclable-drink-trays-designboom-1800.jpg

Instead, it takes the sound coming from a smartphone’s speakers and increases them by amping up the sound pressure levels via the cardboard speaker enclosure.

The boxes are only available for a limited time at Toronto’s Woodbine Beach, as a way of 'bumping up the volume' while enjoying a burger.

Food & Drink Business

One of Queensland’s largest vegetable farming and production companies, Kalfresh, has received a joint $80 million investment from the Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) and Wollemi Capital to build Australia’s first integrated food and energy precinct.

New research from RMIT University suggests saltbush could help food manufacturers improve protein quality and reduce the reliance on added salt in staple foods. The drought-tolerant shrub has been used as bush tucker by Indigenous Australians for thousands of years.

The Brewers Association of Australia CEO, Amanda Watson, has stepped down from the role. Watson, who became CEO in July 2025, said she was pursuing a different career direction.