Green Toys? Find out what can be made with recycled plastic
Posted by Lisa Carey
Quite often I hear, “why bother to recycle?” Find out what your recycled plastic can make and I bet you find that these items are better made and a great deal safer than many other toys.
You’re buying less and less bottled waters but still, many household items from liquid hand soap, liquid dish soap, shampoo, milk and orange juice containers are made from plastic. You’re refilling when you can and when that is not an option you’re rinsing and recycling. You now that all of your efforts to keep plastic bottles and jugs out of the landfills is a worthy eco-friendly practice but have you ever wondered what is being made from all of those recycled plastic bottles?
Seeing is often believing and many people can be more and more motivated to recycle plastics when they can see the new goods that can be made from them. This will be especially true for the children, our next generation of recyclers and there are quite a few products made from recycled plastic bottles that will interest this young audience.
Green Huggers
Mary Meyer was making handmade plush toys for children back in the 1930′s. Today Mary Meyer Corporation based in Townshend, Vermont is still making special kids toys and they’ve added a line of Mary Meyer Earthmates with toys made from recycled plastics. The plush toys made from recycled plastic PET bottles are called “Fuzz that Wuzz.” Each toy made from plastic bottles keeps ten plastic bottles out of the landfills.
Available from the “Fuzz that Wuzz” series of toys made from recycled plastics are Big Pawzzz Bear, Antlerzzzz Moose, Flakezzzz Snowman, Purzzz Cat, a mini zoo assortment and more. Most of the Fuzz That Wuzz plush toys range $8.00-$20.00 in price, with a few larger products being higher. Mary Meyer “Fuzz That Wuzz” plush toys made sweet green gifts for baby.
Mary Meyer Earthmates also features toys made from sustainable bamboo and organic toys made with 100% USDA certified organic fabrics and stuffing.
Seeing Green in the Playroom
Recycled plastics can be made into much more than plush. Green Toys Inc. is making Made in the USA green toys with no phthalates, PBA or lead paints and Green Toy toys conform to safety standards.
What’s available from Green Toys and made from recycled plastic bottles?
ï€ Chef’s sets
ï€ Dish sets
ï€ Cooking sets
ï€ Jump ropes
ï€ Ecosaucers (like flying disc)
ï€ Indoor gardening kits
ï€ Sand toy sets
ï€ Tea sets
ï€ Tool sets
ï€ Recycling truck
ï€ Dump truck
Green Toys Inc. toys have been awarded the Oppenheim Toy Award Gold for 2009, Parenting Magazine’s 2008 Mom-Tested Toys award and the dr. Toy Green Company of the Year award.
Driving and Building Green
Sprig Toys has created a line of child powered, battery-less vehicles that are made from bio-composite material deducted from recycled and reclaimed food grade plastics. Spring Toys features both adventure vehicles and a line of “eco-builder” machines.
Another fun line from Sprig Toys for imaginative play are the Story Building sets that include Little Red Riding Hood, a barnyard, a princess palace and The Three Pigs. These eco-friendly toys are perfect for preschoolers.
Does it really matter if toys are being made from recycled plastics? Is it helpful or just a greenwashing job to make parents feel better? Consider these facts and then you decide.
ï€ Over two million plastic bottles are used in the U.S. every 10 minutes.
ï€ Each year 51 million plastic bottles go into landfills.
ï€ It will take 700 years for plastic bottles to begin to decompose.
ï€ Today less than 30% of plastic bottles are recycled in the U.S.
Not only do these fun toys and products use recycled materials, but they are sturdy, durable, affordable and provide long lasting fun for your family. Why not consider “green” toys for your holiday or birthday celebrations?
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Hello Every One, In the province of Nova Scotia, we have a weekly collection of recycled products. From newspaper to printed materials and then one for foil, milk containers, plastic. Juice containers, beer bottles, pop, and water containers are collected and we are given an incentive to hand them in with a five cent return on the bottles.
When we where travelling throught the state of Maine this year, I could not beleive that they do not do any recycling on any kind. with a little incentive from the goverment you could have a very nice business going there.