How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint...
Baby Toys

hink hard before you buy the latest in-vogue, short-lived plaything for your children; perhaps there’s something much simpler that would be more fun for them and less harmful to the planet.

Buy secondhand toys. Check out eBay, Craigslist, Freecycle, yard sales, or your local classifieds for nearly-new bargains.

Wood’s good. Buy toys made from sustainably grown wood. As a guarantee, look for an FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) logo.

Join a library to give your children more toys than they could possibly get bored with. Alternatively, start your own toy-sharing circle with friends who have children.

Spark your child’s imagination by giving them everyday items like cardboard boxes, fabric scraps, shells, or pieces of wood to adapt into their own toys or craft projects, providing hours more fun than manufactured toys.

Power down. A seemingly unavoidable feature of modern childhood, electronic toys are usually made from petrochemical-based plastics. They create significant carbon emissions in their manufacture and produce yet more in their use and disposal. If your child is truly desperate for an electronic toy:

• Try to choose one that’s well made and won’t break within weeks.

• Ideally, find a toy or game that can be varied or upgraded (for example, a console that plays a number of different games which can be swapped with friends).

• Invest in a set of rechargeable batteries and a charger – ideally a solar-powered one.

• Teach your child(ren) to switch off the toy whenever they’re not using it.

TIPS, INFO, AND INTERESTING FACTS

• The U.S. toy industry is worth $22 billion a year.

• Americans purchase around 5 billion batteries each year and produce around 150,000 tons of battery waste annually.

• Look for toys, such as do-it-yourself solar-power kits and hydrogen model cars, designed to educate and inspire children about low-carbon technologies.

• The average American child receives 69 new toys each year.