Think green gifts
Originally published in the Morisset and Peninsula Bulletin, November 2018.
Article and images by Lindi Bowen-Needs.
Article and images by Lindi Bowen-Needs.
Give more thought to your purchases because a gift that has less impact on the planet gives the double gift of a better future planet for our children.
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Instead of giving a junk toy to fill the garbage tip, give a toy that is durable and recyclable or compostable. Give one that is made from recycled materials, saving those materials from going to landfill. Give a gift that is made from sustainably harvested plant material instead of oil. Or give a gift made in a more sustainable manufacturing process with fewer greenhouse gas emissions and fewer pollutants released.
Are the gifts more expensive? Not necessarily. For example, a brand name or quality-built unrecyclable plastic product can be more expensive that a comparably sized eco-product. They may have manufacturing processes with no toxic materials, powered by solar and wind, and contain recycled content that could be less expensive, and there are not the huge advertising budgets built into the purchase of a small business manufactured toy compared to a large international brand name. What can I buy?
I asked local toy stores, perused the toy shelves in our local department store and searched online to see what had environmental merits. Although not 100%, the following had some environmental merits over the other toys. |
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Caseys Toys (Charlestown, Erina and East Maitland) was the only toy store to reply. They advised that they have “Green Toys” brand Tugboat and Submarine. “Green Toys” uses 100% recycled sterilised food-grade plastic from milk bottles and yoghurt containers. Being foodgrade, the plastic is free of many of the plastic additives of concern such as BPA. The packaging is recycled cardboard and there are none of those annoying plastic ties and packaging that you struggle with when the child wants the gift unboxed. The milk bottle and yoghurt plastic ought to be able to be recycled after use, but this depends if a recycler knows it is recyclable. Perhaps the manufacturer will take it back for recycling again.
The main downside is that the product is manufactured in USA and therefore has a high transport impact. However “Green Toys” have put a lot of thought into reducing the environmental impact of the manufacturing and in designing a quality safe product.
In our local Morisset department store, there are few making any mention of any environmental credibility. One product notes that its cardboard packaging is recyclable. I also found some products made with timber and cardboard, notably cardboard puzzles in unlacquered timber or cardboard boxes. You could buy a product with an “environmental theme”… a recycling truck. There is no mention of the type of plastic or whether it is recyclable, but the cardboard box packaging is recyclable.
The main downside is that the product is manufactured in USA and therefore has a high transport impact. However “Green Toys” have put a lot of thought into reducing the environmental impact of the manufacturing and in designing a quality safe product.
In our local Morisset department store, there are few making any mention of any environmental credibility. One product notes that its cardboard packaging is recyclable. I also found some products made with timber and cardboard, notably cardboard puzzles in unlacquered timber or cardboard boxes. You could buy a product with an “environmental theme”… a recycling truck. There is no mention of the type of plastic or whether it is recyclable, but the cardboard box packaging is recyclable.
Online there are dozens of Australian sellers of more sustainable toys. Mostly these are toys made of timber and a few are proudly cardboard. There are also crayons and plasticine products made of alternative materials with perhaps less environmental impact. Here are some of the Australian online toy sellers promoting more sustainable toys: Rainbow Fun, Little Earth Nest, Entropy, Knock on Wood Toys, Honey Bee Toys, Biome, Lime Tree Kids, Bubbalove, Ecolateral Shop, Green Pennies, Kiozwi, Sustain-a-baby, Crayons, Ecotoys, Hello Charlie, Eco Child, Itty Bitty Greenie, Shop of Toys.
What about Lego? Lego has finally started to make some environmental improvements. They have always been a durable, reusable toy with a wide range of creative play, that has been able to be passed from one generation and family to the next. However, they have been made from a tough oil-based plastic without recyclability. Lego has achieved two notable sustainable outcomes recently. They have converted their manufacturing to 100% reusable energy sources by building wind and solar farms. Secondly, this year they have started releasing - at first in Europe and then gradually around the world – Lego made from plant-sourced plastic rather than oil-based plastic. Their first product containing this plastic are their green trees and shrub pieces.
Don’t forget there are also options to purchase second hand toys online, at our local auction house or at one of the charity shops. The perfect toy may be waiting there for you.
And lastly don’t forget you can make toys. Play dough can be made at home using flour, food colouring and a recipe from online. Paper and cardboard packaging can be made into toys. Timber can be carved or cut and joined together. Make a billy cart or a cubby house. Give a home-made science kit to try safe experiments like growing salt or sugar crystals with food colouring in them, or grow seedlings in stuffed stockings. Sew or knit your own stuffed toy and stuff it with the material and wool offcuts.
Don’t forget there are also options to purchase second hand toys online, at our local auction house or at one of the charity shops. The perfect toy may be waiting there for you.
And lastly don’t forget you can make toys. Play dough can be made at home using flour, food colouring and a recipe from online. Paper and cardboard packaging can be made into toys. Timber can be carved or cut and joined together. Make a billy cart or a cubby house. Give a home-made science kit to try safe experiments like growing salt or sugar crystals with food colouring in them, or grow seedlings in stuffed stockings. Sew or knit your own stuffed toy and stuff it with the material and wool offcuts.
What can I get adults?
Sometimes it can be a challenge to give a gift someone does not already have. Consider do they have sustainable versions of things? Get them started on buying sustainable products by introducing them to the wonderful products now available. For example, locally at Bonnells Bay and Morisset chemists, supermarkets and other local shops you can buy:
Sometimes it can be a challenge to give a gift someone does not already have. Consider do they have sustainable versions of things? Get them started on buying sustainable products by introducing them to the wonderful products now available. For example, locally at Bonnells Bay and Morisset chemists, supermarkets and other local shops you can buy:
- Reusable shopping bags made with sustainably produced cotton and packaged in recyclable cardboard;
- Reusable mesh produce bags made from recycled plastic drink bottles to buy your fruit and vegetables in instead of those once-used plastic vegetable bags;
- A reusable takeaway coffee cup, some made with recycled plastics, some made with plant-based plastics instead of oil-based plastics, and some made from recyclable metal;
- A cup to rinse after brushing your teeth, made from the same range of materials as the coffee cups above;
- Compostable bamboo toothbrushes or plant-based plastic toothbrushes;
- Compostable bamboo cutting boards and timber cheese boards;
- Coconut fibre bottle cleaning, scrubbing or personal-care brushes with recyclable metal or compostable timber handles;
- Subscription to a permaculture or sustainability magazine; or
- Books on sustainable living, organic gardening, cooking with fresh food ingredients or tips to using left overs.
