"Plastic's inanimate, so it can't be bad, it's what people do with it that's bad," he said. But hey, they're also kids. You’ll typically find No. They hand out all your things in either paper bags or cloth bags. But that takes work and requiring it might end up hampering recycling efforts without proving effective. Plastic toys can end up in landfill and in the ocean A poll by the British Heart Foundation found that more than a quarter of parents admit to throwing away toys that are in perfect working … Packaging accounts for over 40 per cent of plastic usage. Sign up for the Fatherly newsletter to get original articles and expert advice about parenting, fitness, gear, and more in your inbox every day. And the International Agency for Research on Cancer considers SSCPs possibly carcinogenic, along with engine exhaust and welding fumes. Why I Took My Kids’ Toys Away (& Why They Won’t Get Them Back) I finally gave up and took it all away. I wasn’t angry, just fed up. This widely used plastic often contains harmful chemicals, including such known carcinogens as vinyl chloride, dioxin and phthalates, which are linked to asthma, allergies, and reproductive problems. There is no signs that will change anytime soon. Because he had so many toys, they didn’t mean as much to him as a child with only a few toys. As shootings dominate the news month after month, pretend gun play has never been more unpopular with parents, Katie Morse, LCSW, a psychotherapist in private practice in Seattle, says. When doting grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends bought plastic toys for our kids, I would politely return them and caused a lot of bad feelings. PVC—polyvinyl chloride, or vinyl—is found in a range of products, from children's toys to building materials to food packaging. Once you start learning about the problems associated with plastic and other environmental issues, get your kids involved in making a difference. Plastics are indigestible and non-biodegradable and once produced, one cannot get rid of them. There have also been warnings for years about the presence of persistent organic toxins (POPs) in toys made of recycled plastic. Heard about miracle "plastic roads"? Wary of falling on the wrong side of school policies, many parents attempt to squelch all toy gun play at home, lest it follow kids to … Research has found most toys contain chemicals toxic to humans, according to the EPA. If the toy is exposed to high heat, the lead may leach out in the form of dust, which may then be inhaled or ingested by a child or pet. In fact, it is a conscious effort by everyone as plastic is very harmful for our environment. In April, IPEN released studies suggesting that 90 percent of children’s toys may contain either OctaBDE or DecaBDE, and that 67 percent may exceed Stockholm Convention hazardous waste limits for SCCPs. Chelsea Ritschel. These items are made from polyvinyl chloride (generally referred to as PVC) and of concern is the release of phthalates, a binding agent that makes the plastic malleable and is in an innumerable amount of consumer products, not just plastics. Die-cast toys use real metal in the mold rather than just plastic, which is why they tend to be much heavier than their plastic counterparts along with earning the name die-cast. Something went wrong. The kind you see with toys is the thicker and sturdier high-density, whereas low-density polyethylene is more commonly used for trash bags and similar items. One of the biggest concerns around choosing plastic toys is that they easily break, thus leaving sharp edges that may harm your child. Wooden toys are a better option for infants as well. These are usually phthalate-free. Weâre actually harming their environment that theyâre going to live in for the rest of their lives.". The European Union recently cracked down on recycled materials that contain OctaBDE and DecaBDE, and Guzzonato says this is a crucial step. Many parents have already questioned the chemicals used to create certain toys, and many of them try to skip certain pollutants when picking out toys for their children. In 2015, IPEN tested a small sample of 21 children’s toys and found nearly half were contaminated with toxic flame retardants that originated from electronic waste. In recent years, the use of plastic has been more heavily criticised than ever for the many problems it can cause. Rubber duckies laced with flame retardants. The next time you can't get that Marvel or DC figure out of its plastic prison, at least you'll know your enemy's name. What do you want the president to prioritize in the next four years? There are plenty of good things to stick to, but plastic gadgets aren’t on the top of the list. Wednesday 18 April 2018 14:25. This kind of plastic that’s used only once before being thrown away is called single-use plastic , and it makes up more than 40 percent of all plastic trash. along with engine exhaust and welding fumes, more likely than sex toys to contain banned chemicals, Two billion tons were subsequently recycled, what little literature exists remains inconclusive, The Best Toy Storage Organizers for Keeping the Toys at Bay, The 8 Best Discreet Sex Toys You Won’t Be Embarrassed for Your Kid to Find, The 6 Best SAD Lamps for Seasonal Depression — And Why They Work, 11 Great Play Food Sets for Your Kid's Play Kitchen. Plastic toys can often only be used for their purpose and can restrict children’s thinking skills. LEGO bricks have the potential to last for up to 1,300 years if they end up in Earth's oceans. “We found them in plastic animal toys, balls, rubber duckies, jump ropes, and swim toys.”, “Rubber duckies look safe and should be safe,” Miller says. But if the flexible plastic toy isn’t properly labeled, don’t buy it unless it’s are labeled as PVC-free. And once you look at it that way, it'll seem hard to look at their usual toys in the same way you used to. But the recycling ban won’t take effect until 2030 and the move won’t affect manufacturers in the United States, where there is minimal regulation. The proliferation of toxins like OctaBDE and DecaBDE (components of electronic waste), HBCD (found in building insulation), and SCCPs (metalworking chemicals) comes courtesy of the plastic recycling process. Most plastic products, including toys, can be identified by the little number inside the chasing arrows on the bottom of the item (see them all on the Plastics Industry website). Experts like Buser maintain that these pollutants “need to be eliminated from the recycling streams as quickly as possible to avoid them from being in circulation for an extended period.” The best way to do this? “If all waste contamination is known and controlled,” she says. ), "You have all these toys â theyâre cheap, theyâre made out of plastic, they break easily. Plastic toys are actually a huge environmental problem, and if we want to raise sustainability-conscious kids, it's important to raise them with … PVC (polyvinyl chloride). Normally, wooden toys are more durable. Plastic toys from China. The problem is that most of us use and then toss way more plastic than we need: things like grocery bags, drink bottles, straws, food wrappers, and plastic packaging around toys. Why? Why Is Plastic Bad for the Environment? In particular, more than a quarter of parents say they throw away perfectly good, working toys. “A child crawling on his belly across the yard holding a stick-gun may be processing a pretend death and heroically pursuing a powerful enemy he will confront and defeat,” Johnson says. Many school districts have a zero-tolerance policy. Give us a little more information and we'll give you a lot more relevant content, Oops! Large plastics float across oceans and sometimes collect together to form garbage patches such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. You must have observed that grocery shops these days do not use plastic bags. And just how bad is the damage? Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories. Chinese-made toys came under attack a few years ago for having high levels of lead paint — and more than nine million of them were recalled. Plastic can — and does — save lives. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock. “We found chemical pollutants in many different types of plastic toys and articles of clothing, like boots and sandals made for toddlers,” she says. But as it turns out, parents need to start being more mindful of the impact kids' toys are making on the environment, as well. Thermally destructing pollutants in incineration plants. “And they are, in fact, quite harmful.”, Neither, apparently, is the international community. Not only are they. The problem is, plastic essentially never decomposes. At the end of the event, all of the kids received a bag about the size of a 2-gallon milk jug, filled to the brim with “kitschy cheap little toys,” Rho said. Or to be on the safe side when choosing phthalate-free sex toys is to pick hard plastic products, silicone, glass, metal and wood toys. He is always there to lend a helping hand, and he’ll drop what he’s doing to help someone. Jack Kirby's Son Says Capitol Rioters Defiled Captain America's Values, Here's What To Expect From Biden's COVID-19 Stimulus Plan, Here's Why Grown Men Are Singing Sea Shanties On TikTok. "Plastic's inanimate, so it can't be bad, it's what people do with it that's bad," he said. Ok, so you know about the potential health implications of BPA in plastic and you do your best to avoid it. Plastic is ubiquitous. The fast food restaurant has claimed it will ban plastic toys and replace them with a new option for fans. I don’t want parents to be alarmed unnecessarily, but I believe they have a right to know.”. And in 1999 the UK Department for Trade and Industry released a report that concluded that such fears were unfounded in humans, and merely “chemical paranoia.”, But Miller isn’t taking any chances. Within a child’s early years, plastic is seen everywhere — an abundance of color and toys that light up, make sounds and move — but many of the toys have limited play options. If you have something that is oddly sticky, here’s how to clean plastic that has become sticky, like remote controls and hard plastic toys. How do you know if your playroom contains safe varieties of plastic? “No contaminants can end up in toys.”. Often times, things like plastic bags floating in the water can easily be mistaken as a wandering jellyfish. Children have been suspendedfor pointing fingers like handguns. Not long after the Little Shop promotion launched, the plastic toys were being found washed ashore on beaches. Research has found most toys contain chemicals toxic to humans, according to the EPA. As I walked down the aisles of one of the pet product stores where I live every aisle was filled with plastic and every product was packaged in plastic. Rubik’s Cubes leaking electronic waste. Kids are incredibly empathetic, and if you teach them about the dangers of pollution, they might even want to turn down cheap, short-lived toys of their own volition. If animals eat plastic, it gets stuck in their tummy and makes them sick. Many toys that are “bad ” for your child aren’t necessarily dangerous or harmful to their physical health, but they don’t engage the areas of learning that help a child reach their full academic potential. 0 comments. If possible, avoid all plastic toys for infants and newborns. Bike helmets, car airbags, and many medical supplies made with plastic save lives. 'Dune' Toys Are Already For Sale — But Where's My Giant F*cking Sandworm Toy? And PVC can be pretty common in toys. The health effects of the chemicals used in the manufacturing of plastic toys are not fully known, but at least one type of common chemical, called phthalates ― which is used to soften soys ― has been linked to a number of health issues, including birth defects, cancer and diabetes, The New York Times reported in 2014. PVC (vinyl) is another nasty chemical to avoid when shopping for toys, and can contain known carcinogens like phthalates. Please contact. A study published last month found evidence of flame retardant chemicals in 61 percent of toys tested. We all know by now that plastic is terrible for the environment, but why? ↓ The reasons why plastic is awesome are almost too numerous to count, but here are five that really resonate for us: 1. In 2017, the International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) examined 95 Rubrics cubes and a further 16 items, such as combs and toys, from 26 countries. Why Are Microplastics dangerous? This is just one of the many chemicals found in plastic toys. Pretending that it was only because of my environmental concerns , I asked that any gifted toys be limited to wood or recycled plastic. MCDONALD'S is making major changes to its Happy Meal toy options. Alarmingly, they are probably playing with them. Hospital Bag Checklist: What to Pack for the Birth of Your Child, Don’t let children put items in their mouths, even if they seem safe. So what happened to the plastic bags that we used? If possible, avoid all plastic toys for infants and newborns. Plastic breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces of itself, so it never really goes away. We continue to see more and more children with learning issues that can be prevented with additional purposeful and meaningful play experiences. Is that Smelly Plastic from China Toxic? Metalworking runoff in Mickey Mouse slippers. Manufacturing plastic toys requires plastics made from crude oil, which can impact both the environment and human health when sourced and used. "It was totally incongruent for us to buy these toys for our kids for their edification and enjoyment. Get the best of Fatherly in your inbox. But what about PVC in plastics and other products? The question that rises now is – aren’t plastic toys becoming a problem for the environment? The next time you can't get that Marvel or DC figure out of its plastic prison, at least you'll know your enemy's name. Dump the Plastic: Why Plastic is Bad for Your Health. As I walked down the aisles of one of the pet product stores where I live every aisle was filled with plastic and every product was packaged in plastic. Be selective with toys: Make sure that plastic toys you buy for your children are made from BPA-free material — especially for toys your little ones are likely to chew or suck on. Many toys that are “bad” for your child aren’t necessarily dangerous or harmful to their physical health, but they don’t engage the areas of learning that help a child reach their full academic potential. Miller and others are sounding an alarm, going so far as to caution parents against purchasing plastic baby toys. So what can you do if you want to teach your child, early on, to respect the environment they're growing up in? So he gave lots away to other kids. “It was a crucial achievement…that the exemption for recycling, which was called for by a few countries, was not granted,” Andreas Buser, scientific officer of the Industrial Chemicals Section for the Swiss government, told Fatherly. Because China’s product quality control isn’t as strict as it is in the US, it’s smart to steer clear of toys made in China. These household items are usually made from natural materials such as wood and rarely contain hard plastic materials. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images, Plastic toys are actually a huge environmental problem. By Staff Writer Last Updated Mar 26, 2020 8:54:01 AM ET. She says the supermarket has taken a step backwards with their plastic toy campaigns, after banning single-use plastic bags last year. (Many of them are also way cooler and more durable than plastic toys. The longer a product is stored in that plastic the more BPA’s are leached into that item. While this process dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, the practice remains in use today with some toys, particularly high-end collectibles. Giving away used plastic toys to others is a good idea, but it doesn't solve the problem, because you're still buying into that wasteful cycle in the first place. “This means that if contaminated items unintentionally end up in the recycling mix, those contaminants will be found again in the new toy.” Countries that rely on cheap plastic exports lean heavily on recycled products. The majority of the world’s plastics end up in the garbage, rivers, and eventually in lakes and oceans. Two billion tons were subsequently recycled, which would be an environmental coup if chemicals weren’t being recycled into jump ropes. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, plastic toys may contain lead, which is added to the plastic to soften it. A mother’s difficult quest to discover what her children’s toys are made of—and whether they are safe and environmentally friendly. Plastic toys can often only be used for their purpose and can restrict children’s thinking skills. The negative effects of plastic vary depending on the type of plastic in the … But once you start delving into the enduring problems that come with plastics, you might start to notice just how much plastic is involved in creating kids' toys â and that might start to ruin the magic for you. Luckily, people are becoming much more aware of the havoc plastic can wreak on our planet, and there are many plastic-free toys for kids out there. Not only are they usually unhygienic, but researchers found chemical pollutants in many different types of plastic toys, balls, rubber duckies, jump ropes, and swim toys. I calmly began packing up not just a toy or two, but every single thing. 2021 Bustle Digital Group. I t’s what parents have suspected all along. From medical devices that keep blood flowing, joints moving and hearts beating to impact-resistant vehicle parts and safer infant car seats, plastic saves lives every day. Instead of relying on plastic toys for older kids, teach them to find joy in other activities: making art, writing stories, reading, and adventuring outdoors (the last of which should help them develop an even deeper appreciation for the environment). Poly Vinyl Chloride . Could your dog’s favorite toy actually be poisoning him? Plastic toys are actually a huge environmental problem, and if we want to raise sustainability-conscious kids, it's important to raise them with awareness of those issues. China, for instance, produced 3.2 billion tons of industrial solid waste in 2014. Tests have shown that dibutylphthalate (DBP) is released into … One of the sturdiest types of plastic on the list, polyethylene comes in two forms: low- and high-density. The good news is … The main reason is that kids simply don’t play with them. There are plenty of good things to stick to, but plastic gadgets aren't on the top of the list. If your dog loves plastic, rubbery toys, it’s not so far-fetched. “But if you have toxic chemicals in the recycling stream and you’re putting them in children’s products…. In a global economy, where electronics are manufactured in one country, recycled in another country, and sold as plastic children’s toys in yet another country, no intervention can have a meaningful effect unless all nations sign on. The Stockholm Convention recently closed a loophole in that allowed manufacturers to recycle certain contaminants as long as they didn’t produce new ones. because the bacteria in their stomach cannot break the plastic up into smaller pieces. Most of the time they end up in the trash," Steve Rho, CEO of the sustainable Big Future Toys, told the Huffington Post in May. 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