It’s the silly consumerism season or the holiday season if you’re a mum with school age kids.
It’s the time of year when Australians spend most of their money on toys for Christmas – more than $100 million worth of toys are imported into the country – mainly purchased over the Christmas period each year.
As the plastic credit card is waved across the EFTPOS machine, barely a thought is given to what materials are used to manufacture the items being purchased. A quick stroll around ToysRUs, Toyword or one of the supermarket chains selling toys is testament to the popularity of plastic as a manufacturing choice – clearly a profitable one.
Plastic toys are colourful and if they are good quality plastic, they can withstand some rough treatment. A visit to your local waste management ‘recycling shop’ demonstrates which toy brands last longer. As I posted on my Facebook page some months ago, I saved my sons’ Duplo and Lego blocks for over 30 years for my grandchildren and I am glad I did. Now that is one case of sustainability. Other plastics oxidise and degrade over time and wouldn’t last 3 years let alone 30!
Some toys contain toxic chemicals such as phthalates, these make PVC more flexible. Phthalates have been linked to hormonal imbalances and birth defects and research suggests the chemicals may be released when toys are sucked or chewed – obviously not desirable.
A number of other countries have now banned a number of phthalates in toys. Australia has banned products likely to come into significant contact with the mouth (such as infant feeding utensils and toys) that contain more than one per cent diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP).
Plastic toys are usually light weight, therefore easy for toddlers and children to lift and manoeuvre. Plastic toys dry quickly when they get wet, which is practical for bath toys.
But most plastics used in toys are made from non-renewable petroleum-based products. The oil we continue to extract from wells around the world is going to run out one day. Do we really want to use what oil there is on making plastic toys?
Plastics are the most common item found on Clean Up Australia Day and non-biodegradable landfill is a big issue for the plastics industry. As we’ve all seen on news reports, plastic debris in the oceans is a hazard for our marine life.
Wooden toys last longer and can be passed on to younger children when they are outgrown by their original owner. Look for the FSC certification logo when buying wooden toys.
Toys go out of fashion or the kids lose interest – what happens to them then? Good quality wooden toys are generally more durable than plastic ones. They can be sanded and repainted or stained and given a new lease of life time and time again. Pinterest is full of ideas for recycling and upcycling everything. Paint containing lead is still used in new toys. In 2010 Australia set standards for toys and finger paints. Please take safety precautions when upcycling toys, particularly older ones.
Certain woods can also be recycled, increasing carbon storage and reducing landfill.
In terms of emissions, energy, waste, toxins and landfill, wood is the winner.
Have a happy environmentally conscious Christmas!
Sonia