So yes, wooden toys versus plastic toys are timeless and durable. Yes, wooden toys are definitely more environmentally friendly. It's no surprise to anyone that plastic toys versus wooden toys are made with chemicals. No matter how safe you say plastics are, they're still a cocktail of chemicals that aren't natural and are never biodegradable.
If you're wondering how to clean wooden toys, it's actually quite simple and safe compared to cleaning plastic toys. If you're wondering how to clean wooden toys, it's actually quite simple. Just use a mild soap and water solution and wipe them down regularly to keep them clean and safe for your child to play with. Plastic toys, on the other hand, are manufactured using “acceptable amounts” of toxins in the manufacturing process. It is best to buy wooden toys for babies, since their systems are overloaded faster with toxins than adults. They also eat and ingest toxins more than older children, as this is part of their development process.
When your hands are wet, your skin can also absorb toxins from plastic toys. Switching to natural or unpainted wooden toys or water-based dyes in wooden toys is best for babies and toddlers. Do you want to contribute to saving our environment? In general terms, wooden toys are more environmentally friendly than plastic toys because of their biodegradable nature and their recyclability. Instead of filling landfills with man-made products, you can buy toys for your child that will contribute to the environment.
Every time you give your child a wooden toy, you contribute to saving our planet and, as a result, you are transmitting these values to your child. As an organic, renewable and sustainably sourced product, of course, wooden toys are a much more environmentally friendly option than plastic. While most of it comes from plastic bottles, broken and wasted plastic materials from other things, such as toys, account for part of that percentage. In a world where countless plastic toys accumulate in your home, making the conscious decision to switch to wooden toys is not only an investment in your toys, but more importantly, it is an investment in your child.
With the rise of beautiful handmade wooden toys, available and affordable on the market today, together with all the negativity surrounding the environmental problems caused by plastic toys, in recent times there has been an overwhelming criticism of plastic toys in favor of wooden toys. Many wooden toys can be bought second-hand and disinfected, so the materials are reused and, when the toy has come to an end, often a few generations later, they can be easily recycled, since they are made of natural materials. Wooden toys are durable and practically unbreakable if they are made of good wood materials, so there is no need to keep wearing out new ones as is the case with plastic toys. Because of this, wooden toys have a long lifespan and can be passed on to younger siblings, relatives or friends.
PVC (vinyl) is another harmful chemical that should be avoided when buying toys, and may contain known carcinogens, such as phthalates. They are more durable (produce less waste than their plastic counterparts), biodegradable and can even be made from sustainable wood. But what I mean is that if you're intentional and selective when it comes to buying good quality open toys, it doesn't matter (and shouldn't) matter if they're made of wood or plastic, since they won't end up in landfills. However, from time to time you should consider simple wooden toys with basic packaging instead of fresh, new ones.
Small parts that come off easily represent a suffocation hazard and, if the toy breaks for any reason, sharp pieces of plastic could cause injury.
