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Lot's of kids have a toy chest full of junk, mostly plastic- sitting idle and missing pieces. Most toys are made from petroleum, and plastic toys contain BPA, fire retardants, toxic phthalates, and other chemicals that aren't safe or eco-friendly.

Even with all the flash and advertising, most toys aren't made to last, and end up in landfills at the end of their short lifespan. Plus, safety recalls of toys made in China, can make it hard to find safe toys to bring into your home. For this reason, it’s very important to make sure that any toy your child is playing with hasn’t been recalled by the Consumer Products Safety Commission for any safety or health hazard.

Now that I have a toddler, again, I want to fill his toy chest with wood and non-toxic toys. Plus, they are always so much more modern and cute! Win, win!!

Fire Retardants in Toys

Laboratory studies have shown that brominated fire retardants are dangerous for children, because they disrupt hormone systems and effect brain and behavior.

Chinese researchers tested 69 toys, including Barbie and other dolls, soft plastic teethers, swords, race cars, foam toys and action figures. They found brominated fire retardants contaminated most of them, including:

Polybrominated diethyl ethers (PBDEs). These were found in all hard plastic, foam and stuffed toys, and a third of soft rubber toys. The types of PBDEs found were:
- Deca (the type of PBDE currently manufactured in highest quantity) is a form of PBDE banned in 2 states and Canada; and
- Penta & Octa are no longer manufactured in the U.S. due to health concerns, and have been banned in 11 U.S. states, Canada and Europe.
Polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs). The U.S. stopped manufacturing PBBs in 1976 after several thousand people in Michigan were poisoned by the chemical.
Brominated-ethanes (DBDPE & BTBPE). These are new flame retardant chemicals in use despite the absence of health and safety information.

Although some chemicals are banned for most uses in Europe and Canada, and no longer made in the U.S. because of health and safety concerns, a loophole in federal regulations allows finished goods containing these chemicals to be imported.

If you have a baby playing with these toxic toys, they almost always go straight to the mouth. And so do all these chemicals! This is why we need strong regulations to keep these toxins out of toys.

PVC, Phthalates and BPA in Toys

PVC vinyl (#3 recycling code) is a soft plastic used in tons of household items and toys. PVC can contain phthalates, lead, and organic compounds that are known to cause cancer and disrupt your hormones.

Several types of phthalates were banned from use in children's toys in 2009, but they can still be found in baby pools, bath toys, mattress covers and lunch boxes.

Bisphenol A or BPA, is another toxic plastic chemical to be worried about. This endocrine disruptor can be found in toys, baby bottles, tooth fillings, water bottles and more. Major retailers started phasing out BPA back in 2008, but many toys and children items still do contain BPA, or it's equally toxic counterpart, BPS.

To learn more about toxins in toys and to see how your child’s toys measure up, check the database at HealthyToys.org.

Check out these super cute non-toxic toy finds!

What non-toxic toys do your babes love? Know a new mom who could use this info, please share this post with them.

xoxo Christina