Your Green Review

Ah, Christmas! For many, the season conjures up memories of weeding through and unwrapping gifts amid the sweet smell of evergreen and a sea of colorful lights. But, as wallets get thinner and mounting environmental concerns call into question many a holiday tradition, the long-overdue union of cost efficiency and sustainability is becoming a reality.  

Each year 2.6 billion toys are purchased and, as you might have guessed, often join the rest of our discards in the landfill.  Simply reducing, reusing and recycling can send a wave of creativity through your pre-holiday preparations and leave a little more in your wallet this year.  YGR’s Green Christmas Guide offers the eco-conscience a few Green solutions to the toy-buying dilemma.

Safe Toy Basics:

Plastic Toys:

Avoid plastic toys this year, especially polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which is non-recyclable and releases dioxins when combusted. Phthalates, suspected endocrine disrupters, are used to soften vinyl toys including teething and infant toys and have the potential to leach harmful chemicals. If buying plastic toys is a must, go for recycled plastic labeled PVC and Bisphenol-A free, preferably made in the US.

Some helpful resources:

• Deciphering marks and symbols on toy packaging: http://www.safbaby.com/what-do-all-the-marks-and-symbols-on-toy-packages-mean
• Sign up for toy recall alerts: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx

Wooden Toys:

Buy solid wood toys where possible, following a few rules of thumb:

• Avoid plywood and particle board toys. The glue used in these toys often contain formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.

• Check labels to make sure paints, stains and finishes are non-toxic. Unfinished wood or wood treated with natural oils, beeswax or water-based paints are preferable.

• Purchase Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified or recycled wood where possible.  Rubber wood is another eco-friendly favorite.

• When in doubt call the manufacturer and find out

Reuse:

Organize a ‘Repurpose/Upcycle Party’ to get friends and family involved in your Green Christmas efforts!

Girls:

• Give homemade makeup and lotion instead of store-bought to avoid the slurry of toxic additives commonly found in cosmetics.
• Make a no-sew tutu and embellish with odds and ends that would otherwise end up in the trash (broken broaches, fabric flowers etc). No-sew means it can be taken apart and easily repurposed later.
• If you’ve got the materials and feel ambitious, consider making a puppet theater. This version is somewhat large so scale yours according to available materials, room and needs.
• Repurpose old sweaters (or other clothing) into stuffed animals, scarves, hats and quilts for a thoughtful ‘upcycled’ gift.
• Got stacks of out-grown clothes lying around the house? Grab ‘em up and make leg warmers, purses and dress up clothes.
• Transform old wicker baskets into new book, jewelry or accessory holders by painting (water based, non-VOC paint of course) or embellishing with unused ribbon, broaches etc.
• Make your own play food: felt it, sew it or knit it.  Include small dishes (your own or thrift store finds etc.) to complete the set!
• Not sure what to do with those cute place mats that never get used? Make a place mat purse!
• Instead of tossing out out-dated fabric flower bouquets, make flower crowns for some dress-up fun!

Boys

• Make a Mini Greenhouse out of old soda and water bottles and include seeds for carnivorous plants like Venus Flytraps or interesting plants like the Mimosa, aka the tickle plant
• Make your own eco-friendly silly putty, play dough and finger paint. Package in glass jars and decorate with long-forgotten plastic nick-knacks at the bottom of the toy box.
• Transform a used book into a repurposed clock and frame pages for recycled décor.
• Make a cardboard castle out of used cardboard boxes.
• Make a lift-the flap book for toddlers out of old pictures (Good for boys and girls of course)
• Make custom crayons out of broken ones instead of tossing.  It’s easy and can be made into any shape or size of your choosing!
• Repurpose last year’s fleece sweaters into homemade monster friends.
• Replace the stuffing in a stuffed animal with corn to create a microwavable heating pad friend. Discarded stuffing can be used as packaging filler.  Be sure not to overheat.
• Outgrown favorite T’s and sweaters can be repurposed into a new quilt.
• Recycled tire swings go for a lot these days, so why not make your own? Paint it, add to it or decorate it…

Reduce:

• Instead of purchasing many small toys, cut back and invest in a few meaningful items ( preferably those which do not require disposable parts like batteries).
• For this year’s ‘big gift’, enroll your child in a class and leave accessories under the tree (eg., ballet slippers or a soccer ball).
• Get tickets to a show instead of new toys. You’ll both build memories, not a new layer in the toy box.
• “Adopt” an animal at the zoo: 
• Buy non-toy gift items like pajamas, slippers, belts, a watch, scarf/mitten sets, a new lunch box or shoes. These are necessity item gifts less likely to get tossed in the near future.

Recycle:

• Check out craigslist, ebay and freecycle for toys and goods in need of a new home.
• Organize a Toy Swap to keep new-to-you toys in circulations and out of the landfill.
• Pack up all unwanted toys and drop off at a local Goodwill, shelter or charity of your choice.
• For everything else, visit Earth911 for recycling drop offs near you and recycling basics.

Hot Green Toys:

Pricier than make-it-yourself but worth the investment!

• Xeko environmental card game (much like Yu-gi-oh for school aged boys)
• Eeboo Respect The Earth Flash Cards
• Protect the Ocean gift set
• Alien Solar Robot kit
• Green Toy’s Recycled Play Cookware and Dining set
• Repurposed Sweater Critters
• Mini Beasts Skipping Rope
• The Yoga Garden Game