Wooden toys - damaging the environment?
Wooden Toys - Damaging The Environment?
Wood seems like a very environmentally friendly, safe material to make toys from. After all, it's natural, can be sustainably produced, and produces no toxic chemicals on its own. However, wood doesn't always mean a toy is safe or good for the environment. Depending on how the toys are produced, wooden toys can be just as destructive and unhealthy as plastic ones.
Toys produced from wood that's not grown sustainably make up the majority of the market. These trees are often harvested from wild forests, with no plans in place to replace them. After the trees are gone, erosion sets in, damaging the land further. This bare land may also be used for highly intensive farming, using pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals.
After the wood is harvested, it may be treated with toxic chemicals to retard decay, coated in plastics and other environmentally unfriendly materials to protect the surface, and dyed using toxic dyes. All of these treatments cause these wooden toys not only to be unfriendly to the earth, but also to be a health hazard for children. This is particularly worrisome when these toys are played with by very young children, who are prone to chew and lick their toys.
Another major issue in wooden toys is production. Wooden toys are often produced in factories overseas, using cheap, unethical labor. While this reduces the final price of the toy, it only further aggravates reliance on unethical manufacturing practices.
The good news is that while many wooden toys are made this way, not all of them are. You can find wooden toys that are well made, use fair labor practices, and are made using sustainably grown wood and healthy materials. All you have to do is be willing to look into the origins and manufacturing of the toys your children play with.
Look for sellers like Lyns Toy Shop and others who use good suppliers. These suppliers will make sure that all wood used in their toys comes from well managed plantations and uses quick growing woods. Rubberwood is a very popular material because of its speedy growth rate.
Some bamboo products, while not technically wood, are also in this category. However, just because a product is made from rubberwood or similar fast growing materials doesn't mean it's automatically good for the environment. You'll need to look deeper than that.
In addition to plantations that are automatically replenished with new trees, you'll want to look for responsible production practices and safe materials. While it might seem like this is a lot of work, it's important work. The more you know about where your purchases come from, the better position you're in to make an informed, conscious decision.
Price may be important, but only you can decide whether it's more important than ethics and the environment. For many of us, paying a little more for the future of the planet and the safety of our children helps us sleep a lot better at night. Take a hard look at any wooden toys you're thinking about buying. You won't regret it.
www.lynstoyshop.co.uk
Wood seems like a very environmentally friendly, safe material to make toys from. After all, it's natural, can be sustainably produced, and produces no toxic chemicals on its own. However, wood doesn't always mean a toy is safe or good for the environment. Depending on how the toys are produced, wooden toys can be just as destructive and unhealthy as plastic ones.
Toys produced from wood that's not grown sustainably make up the majority of the market. These trees are often harvested from wild forests, with no plans in place to replace them. After the trees are gone, erosion sets in, damaging the land further. This bare land may also be used for highly intensive farming, using pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals.
After the wood is harvested, it may be treated with toxic chemicals to retard decay, coated in plastics and other environmentally unfriendly materials to protect the surface, and dyed using toxic dyes. All of these treatments cause these wooden toys not only to be unfriendly to the earth, but also to be a health hazard for children. This is particularly worrisome when these toys are played with by very young children, who are prone to chew and lick their toys.
Another major issue in wooden toys is production. Wooden toys are often produced in factories overseas, using cheap, unethical labor. While this reduces the final price of the toy, it only further aggravates reliance on unethical manufacturing practices.
The good news is that while many wooden toys are made this way, not all of them are. You can find wooden toys that are well made, use fair labor practices, and are made using sustainably grown wood and healthy materials. All you have to do is be willing to look into the origins and manufacturing of the toys your children play with.
Look for sellers like Lyns Toy Shop and others who use good suppliers. These suppliers will make sure that all wood used in their toys comes from well managed plantations and uses quick growing woods. Rubberwood is a very popular material because of its speedy growth rate.
Some bamboo products, while not technically wood, are also in this category. However, just because a product is made from rubberwood or similar fast growing materials doesn't mean it's automatically good for the environment. You'll need to look deeper than that.
In addition to plantations that are automatically replenished with new trees, you'll want to look for responsible production practices and safe materials. While it might seem like this is a lot of work, it's important work. The more you know about where your purchases come from, the better position you're in to make an informed, conscious decision.
Price may be important, but only you can decide whether it's more important than ethics and the environment. For many of us, paying a little more for the future of the planet and the safety of our children helps us sleep a lot better at night. Take a hard look at any wooden toys you're thinking about buying. You won't regret it.
www.lynstoyshop.co.uk
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