Will someone tell me whats wrong with plastic toys?

thank you bookgoddess

As others have said, they leach and offgas chemicals. Have you ever opened a plastic bag and been hit by that wall of plastic smell? Those are chemicals you are smelling. If you ever walk through a toy aisle, smell the plastic balls. It is well known that plastic water bottles leach chemicals into water when reused, and it only makes sense that similar things happen with plastic toys.

Also, plastic manufacturing is an environmental nightmare.

Quote:
http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Dont-Buy-Plastics.htm
It is also a dangerous industry. A plastic plant exploded less than an hour from me, killing many workers and contaminating the local air and water.
http://www.occupationalhazards.com/articles/12551

And I simply to not trust the plastic industry to be truthful. They have frequently denied that chemicals in plastics like phthalates and dioxins were harmful, yet that is proving to be untrue. What else are they lying about? They are a large coporate industry that benefits from harmful materials and processes, and they are going to try to protect their financial interests. Just like big tobacco. Just like DuPont and Teflon.

We do have plastic in our home, more than I am happy about. But we are slowly phasing it out and replacing it, as we can afford it. Unfortunately, my DD is the only granddaughter on both sides, so it's an uphill battle most of the time...

nak...
my issue with plastic, besides the health concerns, is that plastic toys will be here long after I'm not here
Michelle

My very own opinion

...is that there is such a TINY risk of any harmful anything in plastic toys, it isnt worth the effort to not have them. THe risks have not been proven. I personally dislike wooden toys because they are porous and therefor cannot be cleaned or sanitized. The dirt and oils and germs are embedded in them permanently. Which is usually not a problem, either. But it squicks me out.

I dont think anyone should feel badly about plastic OR wooden toys. it seems to be one of those "personal choice" decisions that do not have great consequence either way.

Quote:
The thing about whether or not something has been "proven" safe, for me, is the exact reason that I would put forth the effort to avoid it. When I say "it", I mean anything that I can't be sure of. I think this characteristic of always questioning and avoiding is one of the common bonds of AP/NFL parents. I mean, if there's a chance that something may harm a child, then what is worth the effort, KWIM?

Okay, I have been reading MDC threads for months and months now, and this is the first time I have felt a need to respond to one of them.

Your question, what is wrong with plastic toys? I would like to tell you about what is NOT wrong with them ... the PRICE!!! I'm wondering, if you are all AP, how are you able to breastfeed, cosleep and homeschool and still afford a strictly wooden toy playroom? I would have to get two jobs in addition to my husband's income to provide only the very best wood toys on the market for my two dds. And, then, I would not be able to do all of the other AP things that are so very important to me. So, this is what I do. I don't freak out about it. I don't hurt my inlaws or my parent's feelings when they purchase a plastic toy for my dds when I know they tried their hardest to pick out a good gift. It's not worth it. I control what I can. I go to second hand stores and participate in recycling (& my strict budget!) by purchasing a gently used plastic toy I know my children will get a ton of use out of, or perhaps be lucky enough to find a gently used wooden toy (which are hard to find, but I keep my eyes open). We save our money all year long to buy a beautiful wooden doll house, because we believe the big things matter the most. I can't worry about the "ifs" right now, there are already too many with being a parent, I can't worry about every little plastic item my children come in contact with. There's plastic everywhere!!! On the cell phone my husband uses to conduct business that my toddler happens to play with every now and then, on the refrigerator door handle, on dds carseats, on the buttons of their coats, the ends of the shoelaces on their shoes, their board books, their bath toys (can't say I've seen many wooden bath toys that are good for filling and pouring, if you have, let me know!), on our mailbox that we let them open everyday to get the mail ... I'm sure you get my point. And, are we not to go anywhere, like playgroup or the library where there are tons of plastic toys there to play with? Are we not to visit friend's houses with their kids' plastic toys? If they are presumed to be so poisonous, then perhaps the healthiest way to live is to be strictly Amish living with Amish people who make toys right in their own home by a woodburning fire. Sorry to be on a soap box here, you're probably wondering, "who is this lady? Never seen her post before ...", but I guess this hit a nerve with me because if you are a child in the modern world, you're going to play with plastic. And, I'm sure a lot of you Mamas out there are thinking "well, we can lessen the impact of the poisons our children are exposed to by being aware and getting wood as much as possible", and hey, I'm all for that. I really am. I'm not trying to persuade you otherwise. I'm mostly posting to advise KayasMama04 not to fret about some plastic. Unless you plan on wrapping your child in a 100% organic, naturally dyed cotton bubble, he's gonna touch some plastic. He's gonna put plastic in his mouth, if not from a toy, from a sippie cup at Grandma's or a straw at the fair. It's unavoidable. Unfortunately. Learn, be aware, but don't freak out. Control what you can. The best control I have over the toy "department" in our house is whatever they have, plastic, wood or otherwise, showing them all the ways they can play with it! For me, AP is about being there 100% with whatever you have to work with (or can afford). I help them explore all the toys they come into contact with, but I never replace batteries!

Ladybug Mama to two beautiful girls, (3 yrs. & 18 mos.), and wife

to crazy freefalling DH.
Seasons of Cosleeping: dd1 dd2 me with both me with dd2 dh with dd1

Here's the other main point of my post in the other thread:

Quote:
Again, this is mainly from an environmental standpoint. There are other reasons to prefer wood over plastic that don't make distinctions between new and used (sensory issues, the large number of plastic things that require batteries, make noise, and do all the "work" of play for the child, leaving nothing for their imagination to do, etc), but my main interest in the issue is environmental, both the child's environment and the world's environment, both of which are well addressed by buying used.