Gift for Earth

In current times of extreme consumerism when we are bombarded with ads encouraging us to buy, buy, buy, it’s no surprise that our obsession with material things is causing harm to our planet. Unless everything you buy is 100% recyclable, you are a small part of the problem. I know I am.

As parents, we all think about the type of world and planet our kids (and their kids) will live in. We should also think about what we can do to make it better. One area in particular where most parents can help is plastic toys.

If you have children’s toys, chances are that you have lots of plastic items scattered around your home. It’s hard to avoid them as they are a component of so many toys. Plastic toys are also big business, representing 90% of the toy market.

The vast majority of these toys are inexpensive, low quality items. The issue here is that many of them will not last for long –they are cheap for a reason – and recycling is not a feasible option in many cases either.

Australia recycles 46% of its plastic waste every year, according to Clean Up Australia. Unfortunately, about 30% of the waste is ending up in landfills and another 25% make their way into the ocean. While beverage packaging is the main villain, representing 40% of the waste, all plastic uses, including toy wraps and the toys themselves are part of the problem.

When it comes to recycling plastic toys, there are a few extra hurdles. Toys are composed of different materials (eg. metal) which make recycling almost prohibitive. The other challenge relates to toxic chemicals that are used in making some of the plastic toys, which also prevent recycling from taking place.

So what can parents and friends do to help turn this situation and reduce waste from toys? Here are some simple suggestions:

• Look for sustainable gifts made of natural materials such as natural rubber, wood or cotton. The selection may be limited depending on where you live but I’m sure you can still find something in that category.
• Keep the number of plastic toy purchases to a minimum.
• Before you throw away a toy, dismantle it yourself to separate the main materials/components. That increases the chance of the recycling centre taking your toy parts. Get your children involved so they understand recycling and explain to them the harmful effects plastic waste has on our environment.
• Encourage your favourite toy company to invest in alternative materials. Many large companies like Lego are already investing big to make the plastic market more sustainable.
• Avoid cheap, small plastic items with a short shelf life. That includes those crappy small plastic toys that we hand out at our kids’ birthday parties. I know kids love a goodie bag and they are used to receiving them at parties – but you can still hand these out for example with some home-baked cookies or small items made out of sustainable materials.
• Buy a child an experience instead of a toy. A musical show, cinema tickets, sports game, Zoo pass, ballet classes. Great for the child and the environment.
• If you have too many plastic toys at home, consider give some to charity. Just make sure they are in good condition.
• Look for a local artist who may like to work with old plastic pieces. There are many talented artists creating art with wasteful parts from toys.
• Check your town for toy libraries which may be interested in taking the excess plastic toys you have.
• Use Purposit for your kid’s birthday or Xmas celebration!

As a mum, I wonder how our planet will look like when my kids grow up. I like to think that every small step – if adopted by a lot of people – can have a big impact. That was also one of the reasons for Mario and I to create Purposit. We believe that Purposit is a way for all parties involved in the gifting process to be doing something that ultimately (or hopefully) will be positive for our environment.

We take so much from our planet and our way of life has already caused irreversible issues to mother nature, so why not giving something back to our planet by simply not causing more damage. It does not seem like too much to ask, does it?

So next time you look to buy a gift, do your best to find a sustainable toy or give an experience instead– that’s a great present for the recipient and even greater gift for planet Earth.