The Issues with Plastic and Battery-Powered Toys

Christmas is coming, and many people are tempted to buy plastic, battery-operated toys for their children or grandchildren. After all, plastic is durable, safe, and colorful, right? And battery-operated toys with all their lights, noises and movement capture children’s attention, don’t they? Not quite. Let’s take a look at some of the potential – and established – hazards of plastic and/or battery-operated toys, and explore some of the alternatives.

Just What Is Meant by “Cost”?

Proponents of plastic toys often argue that they are so much more affordable. Such toys may cost fewer dollars at the checkout counter, but what about the less-visible cost to our health and environment? In a culture of immediacy, we tend to see anything that looks good and costs less as a good deal and the right choice. But it’s important to stop and think for a moment about the long-reaching effects of our consumer decisions. Here are some ways that plastic toys ultimately cost more.

* Recycling costs
The recycling of plastics is difficult, complicated, and expensive, and only some plastics are recyclable. Some plastics delivered to recycling centers are shipped to other countries to burn as fuel. Air pollution, anyone?

* Health costs
We all know that health care costs are astronomical these days, and the last thing we need are environment-induced illnesses to burden the health care system further. The plastics used in children’s toys can contain chemicals such as phthalates, dioxin, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which have been linked to a host of health problems from cancer to reproductive disorders. With breast cancer at near epidemic proportions, do plastics really “cost less”?

* Environmental costs
Batteries and plastics both have negative effects on the environment. Tons of batteries are thrown into landfills each year, where they release toxic metals into the environment (such as lead and mercury). And don’t think that most people recycle their children’s plastic toys; for one thing, many of them, such as PVC or vinyl, cannot be recycled. Many parents just throw away toys as they break or their children outgrow them. Then the dangerous plastics end up in landfills as well, leaching toxic chemicals into the environment.

What Are Some Good Alternatives to Plastic Toys?

* Wooden toys are becoming more widely available, and they are brightly colored and durable. You might steer clear of painted wood products made in China, not only due to the possibility of lead in the paint but also to encourage local toy makers.

* Safe plastics do exist, and are worth looking into. Look for numbers 1, 2, 4 and 5 on the universal recycling symbol printed on plastics. Items with these numbers are made with less/fewer toxic chemicals.

* Wind-up or kid-powered toys are an old-fashioned and delightful way to entertain the children in your life. Some of the toys that fit this description are old-fashioned metal wind-ups and metal, foot-pedal cars.

* Nature provides all kinds of toys in the form of sticks, rocks, leaves, and so forth. Spend some time outside and enjoy the free, natural toys all around you.

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