Buy a toy made from renewable materials
Why This is Green
As any parent can tell you, children's toys are often cheap, made of hard-to-recycle plastic, and they break easily. By selecting well-made, durable toys made from renewable materials (wood, bamboo, cotton, and other natural fibers that can be replaced as fast as they are used up), you are helping to reduce the use of non-renewable petroleum and postponing or eliminating landfill clutter.
By using sustainably grown renewable materials you might also benefit from a health standpoint, good products made from renewable materials don't tend to off-gas chemicals like their synthetic or petroleum based counterparts do. Always read the fine print to find out what else, besides the renewable material, a product contains.
And please keep in mind that just because something is made of a renewable material does not guarantee it is lead-free. Remember the Thomas the Tank Engine scare? Enhanced lead-testing of toys has since gone into effect, but do check the Consumer Product Safety Commission's toy recall list every now and then, or sign up for alerts.
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How To
Generally speaking, you're most likely to find durable toys made from renewable materials at small local toy and book shops, and online specialty shops.
It can be hard to find high-quality toys at mass retailers, but Wal-Mart recently announced an initiative to give more shelf-space to eco-friendly toys, which has prompted product launches.
