Why we need to replace Plastic Toys for Green Environment

In our 3rd post of #EnvironmentalTalks of #CauseAChatter, we will bring your focus on the toys that are an integral part of every household. According to the statistics, 70% of the toys are made of plastic and most of them are not one-time-use plastic that means toys are manufactured with materials that are difficult to recycle. Have you ever thought of recycling the toys or what happens when we discard the plastic toys and did you ever ponder upon the old plastic toys and their effects on children? 

Let us take a closer look at toys and their effect on the environment and how we can make the environment better with few changes.

Toys & their production:

Toys are produced in large numbers but India produces only 0.5% of the toys in the toy industry whereas China produces 80% of the toys in the world. The majority of the toys are plastic made and the life of it depends on the nature of the plastic and the usage of it.

Check the age of plastic toys:

We often keep toys of the elder child for the younger one and plastic toys are easy to handle and care additionally the colors don’t fade and they look as new once washed. But the older the plastic toys more harmful for your child. Earlier production of plastic toys did not go through vigorous checks on the quality of the plastic and it affects a child’s health once the child chews it. So discard all the older plastic toys which are 5-7 years older and it is good if they can be recycled.

Why NO to the plastic toys:

Sooner or later each toy is discarded from home either in the garbage or donated to other people. If the toy lands in the landfill it is difficult to dispose of the toy as every plastic recyclable point is different. The harder the plastic the longer its life and the harder it to dispose of it off.

• Increases plastic pollution.

• Less number of One-time plastic use toys.

• Hard plastic contains a higher plastic ratio and difficult to dispose

• Every toy lands in a landfill.

This means we say no to games to the children or do not have a colorful partner in the play area. Not, we do have a replacement for the plastic toys.

Replacement of plastic toys:

Toys are an integral part of every household and children enjoy the company of toys and cherish those moments for life. We can select biodegradable toys, wooden toys, board games made of paper.

Wooden toys have always added charm to the toy shelf with their vibrant colors and longevity.

Board games are easy to store and can be piled on the shelf too, besides they don’t take huge space.

Games that can be played without any toys can also be encouraged such as dumb sharads, guess who. You can check more interesting spoken games.

PM Message for the Toy Industry

In the latest episode of Mann ki Baat, PM Narendra Modi focused on the toys industry and also requested the nation to pitch in for local toys. He also urged the manufactures to make toys without plastic and toys that are not harmful to the environment. India is not leading in the toy industry and he asks manufacturers to focus on the toys that exhibit great Indian stories and culture. Wooden toys made a special mark in the speech too. You can hear the message on Toys in this YouTube video message.

 

 Companies are looking for a change in the toy industry :

Many companies are now very much aware of plastic pollution and have manufacturing units that focus on toys and games that are made up of non-plastic. Wooden toys and paper games are more appreciated by the people who want to have a contribution to save the environment from plastic.

One company that is based on this notion is Toysrep.

The unique notion of Toysrep:

Toysrep, the company focuses on the repair of plastic toys and electronic toys that needs repair. These toys are expensive and little repair can increase the shelf life of these toys, but generally, we don’t find any service or company that does so. The founder of the company Anshu Sharma is a keen environmentalist and pledges to work towards the betterment of the environment by repairing the toys. She believes we all can solve problems in the environment. She also runs awareness programs in schools and explaining them in detail about its genetics and its effects on our environment and how each of us can contribute to reducing the use of plastics in our daily lives.

Can we make a small change in our life and share our contribution towards saving the planet? 

Replacing plastic toys with another toys can make a huge difference in coming years. We will be looking for replacement of plastic toys slowly as each step taken towards greener environment makes a difference.

@MeenalSonal