You don't know what you got till it’s gone. This is true of paradises — and Zoo Pals plates.
On Aug. 17, 2023, Hefty announced it was bringing back the animal-themed paper plates, likely making countless millennials who grew up in the 2000s say, “Hefty stopped making those? ”
Indeed, once a staple at children's birthday parties, Zoo Pals were discontinued in 2014.
The paper plates are famously decorated with the faces of different animals, some more ferocious than others, but all adorable. The plates are segmented into three parts — face and ears, face and feet, face and eyes, or face and fins — allowing people to keep their foods separate, a picky eater’s priority.
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Hefty Zoo Pals Party Edition Paper Plates
Starting Aug. 17, all 10 of the original Zoo Pal plates will be available for online purchase, with an all-star lineup of Tina the Tiger, Theo the Bear, Speckles the LadyBug, Shelly the Turtle, Puddles the Duck, Kosmo the Cow, Domino the Dalmatian, Curly the Pig, Fritz the Frog and Baloo the Whale. They’re available on Amazon at $6.99 for a pack of 20 plates.
The announcement comes following a call for the product’s return from fans more hungry for nostalgia than whatever is served on a Zoo Pal plate.
“Over the last nine years, we have received many calls, social media, and even petition requests from fans to bring back Zoo Pals and the wait is finally over,” said Jen Ganahl, senior brand manager at Reynolds Consumer Products, in a press release. “With this re-launch, our original fans will be able to relive their fondest childhood memories as adults and we’re excited to bring the joy of mealtime with Zoo Pals plates to the next generation.”
A Change.org petition calling or the plates’ return garnered nearly 20,000 signatures. On TikTok, Zoo Pals DIY became a microtrend. Those unable to live without the plates painted Zoo Pals designs onto plates and turned them into reusable coasters and ashtrays.
They essentially became a shortcut for nostalgia, as people went through their old plate collections.
Now, only time will tell if Hefty also brings back the famous commercial accompanying the doe-eyed dinnerware.
While eating your baby carrots off your Puddles the Duck plate, if you close your eyes, it could be 2002 again.