• The toys would not have been manufacturered in a country known for questionable labour practices (including CHILD labour).


• The toys would not have been made of plastic, which is a less healthy choice for all of us, particularly children and our environment.


• The toys would not have been manufacturered in a country known for lax environmental standards.


• Lead paint would NOT have been used in the first place.

So, these toys, for economic reasons, are manufactured, using plastic, possibly by persons under the age of 18, in a country well-known for allowing untreated manufacturing wastes to be discharged to the environment. What about the health of the children in the communities where these factories are located? What about the health of the workers who are exposed to toxic fumes and lead paint - and the effect their health has on their families and children? What about the future of ALL of our children as a result of the environmental degradation occurring on a daily basis in places we, in the West, can't, don't, or choose not to see? This recall is not only about the safety of the children who play with the toys. This is a much wider issue!

I have drastically reduced the number of plastic toys in my children's toy box, but there is still some there. BananaMuffin loves to play with her Little People farm, so as much as I cringe every time she asks me to play with her, I am not willing to throw it out. But, unfortunately, one day it will inevitably end up in a landfill, and then what? I have since made it known to my entire family that we no longer wish to receive mass-produced plastic toys as gifts.

Those of you who are regular readers of this blog know I am a proponent of natural toys, crafted with love, by hand, and/or in Western countries under fair labour conditions and strict environmental standards, such as HABA, who produce heirloom quality, NON-TOXIC, wooden toys coloured with water-based colours that will last for generations and beyond all of that, are bio-degradable. This has only strengthened my resolve to eliminate the plastic from our lives and live as better citizens - selecting hand-crafted and locally produced items, including clothing and toys, more often. It is said it is not economically feasible to produce toys in North America. It's time we get off the "economically feasible" bandwagon and start thinking about the fact that it is not "planetarily feasible" to maintain the status quo.

As you can see, I'm not done being mad yet!

Want to know more about plastics and your child's health? Here are some interesting articles:
Toxic Toy Story, Lead in Your Child's Lunchbox, Time to Get the Lead Out of Toys.

Labels: Playtime