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I may not have any children, but that doesn't mean I never cruise the baby aisle at the toy store: With five of my friends giving birth to daughters last year and my cousin and sister-in-law both scheduled to deliver before the end of 2008, I've blown my baby-gift budget by more than I care to admit. I just can't pass by teeny clothes and bright colored toys that rattle, light up, and make noise.
But reading about the dangers of polyvinyl chloride , or PVC--a vinyl that makes plastic more flexible but also releases chemicals and toxins--makes me think a little more about the gifts I've been giving. PVC is found in everything from shower curtains to baby bottles, but can be especially dangerous in toys that youngsters put in their mouths. So those plastic alphabet blocks that we gave to two babies already? I can't find any information on what they're made of, but I'm assuming that if they were PVC free the company wouldn't be shy about saying so.
Our next one-year-old birthday party is coming up next month, so I'm already researching toys that promise not to be contaminated with chemicals. There are plenty to choose from: musical instruments; wooden mazes; and even those tiny shoes I find so irresistible. But until then, maybe I'll buy some new (and guaranteed green) blocks for those girls with winter birthdays….just to be on the safe side.
More green toys:
Top Five Organic Soft Toys
Eco-Friendly Toys for Tots
More on making your kidspace eco-friendly:
Making Your Nursery Organic
Rent Toys for Your Kids
How to Green Your Kids' Toys
More on green celebrations: Throw a Green Kiddie Party
Buy the Book:
Ready, Set, Green: Eight Weeks to Modern Eco-Living
Blythe Copeland is a freelancer writer living on Long Island. Read more about her foray into the green life in her previous columns as she follows the plan set out in the book Ready, Set, Green: Eight Weeks to Modern Eco-Living.
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