No matter how hard we try to avoid it, plastic seems to be everywhere we look.
It’s in your house, your car, and yes… in your children’s toys. As humanity is beginning to realize that covering the earth in plastic isn’t the best idea, moving toward a more eco-friendly lifestyle is becoming less of a luxury and more of a necessity.
Recycling what can be recycled and buying toys that won’t hang around in landfills for a thousand years is a great start – and it’s healthier for your kids, too.
Here are five of the best toys to buy if you want to be a part of the change.
1. Wooden Toys
When it comes to eco-friendly toys, wood is an excellent alternative to plastic. Wood is much safer because it does not contain any toxic chemicals like PVC, and it is naturally antibacterial – which is particularly useful for tots who like to put everything in their mouths.
Wooden toys are recyclable, biodegradable, and more durable than toys made from plastic, so they’re not only good for your child, they are good for the environment, too.
Because wooden toys are so durable, they can be passed down from generation to generation – and if they do break, they can be repaired easily – which means they are less likely to end up in a landfill. The great news is that wooden toys and products for kids in UAE are quickly becoming the norm.
2. Natural Rubber Toys
There’s a lot to love about natural rubber – it’s biodegradable, sustainable, and completely non-toxic. Toys made from natural rubber are a great choice if you’re looking for teething toys because they are soft, safe, and fun.
Although natural rubber doesn’t degrade as quickly as wood or wool, it still degrades faster than plastic– which can remain in the environment for thousands of years. Plastic also releases toxins as it degrades over time, so natural rubber is the safer choice.
3. Sustainable Wool Toys
If you’re looking for toys made from a sustainable source, choose wool. Wool is not only safe, natural, and biodegradable; it is also a completely renewable material. When wool is left to decompose, it completely degrades in a single year and releases nutrients back into the earth.
There are many woolen toys on the market; they range from rattles to stuffed animals.
Teddy bears and other stuffed toys made from synthetic fibers are usually treated with chemical flame retardants that can be harmful to your child. Wool, on the other hand, has a chemical structure that is naturally flame-resistant.
4. Toys Made from Recycled Material
Toys made from recycled materials are truly green because they are made from 100% recycled plastic. They are usually made from milk jugs or bottles that have been collected, cleaned, and reprocessed into raw, recycled plastic.
Buying recycled toys is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint – and it’s an excellent way to teach your child about our impact on the environment, too.
When choosing toys made from recycled materials, always check if the manufacturer uses food-safe color dyes and conforms to international standards for phthalates and BPA.
5. Secondhand Toys
If you’re looking to give old toys new life and save some money as a bonus, consider buying secondhand toys. You can find a huge variety of toys and other baby accessories in charity shops, thrift stores, and on websites like Freecycle or eBay.
Another low-budget option is to check your local library – some keep toys in their collection that you can borrow for a small fee.
If you do decide to buy or borrow secondhand toys, be sure that you check if any of them have been recalled by the manufacturer.
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