Get the knowledge: making better choices about toys and leisure products

Complex components

Toys and leisure products manufactured using a smaller number of components and materials generally make it easier to identify the sources of materials. More complicated electronic items – like games consoles and remote controlled toys – often contain thousands of components. It also makes recycling a product that much harder.

In recent years, the environmental impact of producing goods has also changed in line with shifting consumer tastes and trends. Many toy and leisure products have now evolved to accommodate our increasing reliance on technology, transitioning from basic materials like wood and rubber to highly sophisticated electronic switches, circuit boards and wires. 

We’ll talk about tech waste specifically in a separate article, ‘E-Waste’ as it’s commonly known has become a bigger issue than ever before. 

Rechargeable batteries

If you do opt for an electronic toy that uses batteries, choose rechargeable over disposable. Not only is it cheaper, but they’re more sustainable, given that fewer batteries need to be made, reducing the product’s carbon footprint and using less resources.

Although this isn’t a blanket rule, brands who are working to reduce their footprints with the aim of becoming ‘carbon neutral’ are also more likely to promote it – after all, doing their bit for the planet makes them look good. 

Brand websites noting ‘corporate responsibility’ policies and future goals can be a good indicator of a corporation’s priorities, displaying their stance on ethical issues and environmental impacts. But really think about what they are saying, does it stack up? and look for third party verification (link to Researching Mattel’s sustainability info like a pro).

Problem plastics

Another simple rule of thumb is to avoid plastic-heavy products. We know, this is a hard one. The ever-popular bodyboard may be fun in the sea, but being made from polystyrene (the material that makes it float) means it breaks up easily in the ocean, polluting the environment. It’s precisely why they’ve now been banned in a number of places, with charities offering wooden boards for hire as an eco-friendly alternative. 

Meanwhile building bricks, toy cars and miniature models all tend to be manufactured from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) – a non-toxic, petroleum-based thermoplastic which, unfortunately, doesn’t readily biodegrade. It’s also made from a non-renewable resource – oil. 

Although non-carcinogenic and better for our health (and the planet) than plastics like PVC, ABS is still far from being ‘green’. If there’s an upside, it’s that being a thermoplastic polymer rather than a thermoset polymer means it can be reheated, remoulded and recycled. However, each time this happens, the material loses strength, giving it a finite lifespan.