Where Did You Get All Those Wonderful Toys?

by Eileen Weber

Organic. Recycled. Fair trade. These are some of the common eco-buzz words for many products on the market. But in particular, they apply to some really cute toys.

Wood blocks, trucks, dolls, tea sets. You name it, it’s out there and plenty of moms and dads are scooping them up.

Places like Tree Hollow Toys in Woodland, CA sell toys made in the U.S. and Europe. All of them are eco-friendly and sweatshop free. Green Toys, also based in California, make their toys from your recycled milk containers. You put out the trash; they make toys.

Sprig Toys in Fort Collins, CO, offers what they term on their web site as “an exciting line of battery-free, eco-friendly, paint-free, kid-powered toys sure to dazzle the most discriminating preschooler.”

Pokkadots.com is an online toy and clothing shop for little kids that offers organic and eco-friendly brands. They also separate gift options in age range and price breakdown. Need a quick gift but don’t have a lot to spend? Click on their “under $25” link.

But toys aren’t the only eco-friendly things for kids. Tina Hill, a former Greenwich resident now living in Massachusetts, started her own recycled backpack company call Kidzsack. Made from 100% recycled cotton and polyester made from plastic bottles, kids can color with non-toxic markers on a pre-screened bag. Color, wash, and color again. Launched in October 2007, they typically sell for around $20.

In an article dated April 12th in The Boston Globe, Hill’s sacks are a new take on boredom. Her company was started as a result of having four kids of her own and needing an activity to keep them busy. The idea struck her one day while taking her kids to the bus stop and seeing another child waiting there with a nylon bag. 

"What I have is first in a new category," said Hill as quoted in the article. "I have a backsack made out of environmentally friendly fabric that is creative."

With all of these options on the market, one might think every child under the age of seven had a playroom filled green toys. But not so says Chris Kilbane, owner of the New Canaan Toy Sore.

“The eco-friendly toys don’t sell as well as other toys,” he said. “They tend to be more expensive and, in a down economy, people are still looking to save money.”

However, he did say that all of the products he sells in his store are verified and tested. “I don’t sell anything I haven’t tried myself,” said Kilbane. He said he does that because he finds that too often toy manufacturers are not honest about the materials used in the toys. They may say its eco-friendly, but it may not really be.

“People see a toy that says it’s made in Germany and they assume it’s natural and good,” he said. “But often, all the materials come from China. There are a lot of these scams going on. I like to buy from family-owned suppliers, people with integrity.”

Ann Lathrop, owner of the Toy Chest in Ridgefield, Wilton, and New Canaan, agrees that lots of parents like the idea of the eco-friendly toys. They just don’t sell as well. But while price may be a target issue, she sees another problem standing in the way.

“It’s the packaging,” she said. “These companies want to use recycled materials so the packaging has no dyes, no color. It’s not eye-catching.”

While there may be less to throw away and the box material may be post-consumer, she thinks the lack of any glitz has a big impact on the perceived value of the toy. She also said she thinks it takes an educated consumer to be able to see past the recycled material and appreciate the toy for what it is.

However, she strongly believes in being environmentally friendly and plans to continue selling responsibly manufactured toys. “Some people really want the environmentally friendly stuff,” she said. “I see it more with the baby stuff. Outfits. Sippy cups. It’s because babies chew on things.”

Putting the toys in their mouths is what babies do best. And that’s why many parents today want to know more about what goes into their kids’ toys. Some of the eco-friendly toys are using rubberwood as their main content. It comes from the Para rubber tree, which is used to make latex rubber. Originally, the trees were then burned once the rubber material was extracted. Now, the wood is considered environmentally friendly because it’s repurposing something typically “discarded.” (I might caution those parents that have children with a latex allergy to check with your pediatrician before buying products with rubberwood in them.)

But whether you are a parent or a shop owner, eco-friendly toys have a niche in the market and they are here to stay. “I definitely believe in it,” said Lathrop. “I’ve recycled my whole life. It’s the type of thing I would buy myself.”

Photo courtesy of Green Toys.

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