What Makes A Toy Green

GetListy
October 22, 2008

From Amazon.com

The experts at Amazon.com listed the characteristics to look for in toys that can be considered “green”:

Rubberwood Toys — Rubber trees produce latex that is then used to make rubber. When the trees fully mature, they no longer produce latex and are burned. Some toy companies are now taking this abandoned rubberwood and making beautiful toys. Many of these trees are also grown without pesticides, making them organic as well as sustainable.

Bamboo Toys — Bamboo is a sustainable tall grass that grows abundantly and without need for much care or water. An entire forest can regenerate in just three short years. Easy to grow and easy to maintain, bamboo is also light, flexible and a wonderful material from which to craft green toys.

Organic Cotton — Organic cotton is cotton that is grown without the use of harmful pesticides. Organic cotton is also grown using plants that have not been genetically modified. The growth of conventional cotton uses more pesticides than any other crop and accounts for a large percentage of the world’s pesticide use. The use of organic cotton reduces the amount of these chemicals entering the watershed and also from irritating your child’s skin.

Recycled Toys — Manufacturers that make recycled toys use materials that have been previously utilized and then turn them into new playthings. Some companies, such as Green Toys, are using recycled plastic from used milk jugs and making colorful, safe, and fun preschool toys such as tea sets and beach buckets.

Environmental Packaging — Many toy companies are now working toward making packaging friendlier for the environment. Cutting down on the plastic packaging and using packing materials that can be recycled are just two of the ways that toy companies are helping to reduce the impact your purchases have on the earth.

Source: Amazon.com

See GREEN TOYS AND GAMES at Amazon.com

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