Photo by: Marek Wojtal

Late in 2007, just as the holiday toy-shopping season was ramping into high gear, some of the biggest stories coming out of the $20 billion per year toy industry weren’t about the latest innovations or the next hot property. Instead, just about every headline about toys sold in the United States concerned wave after wave of toy recalls.

The major culprit, by and large, was excessive amounts lead paint used on toys originating from Chinese toy manufacturers. A major question emerging in the wake of these recalls was why were manufacturers continuing to use lead paint, despite American regulations requiring fewer than 600 parts of lead per million in paint used on consumer products like toys.

The answer shouldn’t be shocking to anyone. The reason manufacters were using lead paint was simple: it’s cheaper, up to one-third the cost of a safer paint mixture.

But here’s something that actually might be shocking to American consumers: Chinese regulations concerning lead paint are even stricter than those in the United States. A New York Times article on the subject tells us that, “on the books, China’s paint standards are stricter than those in the United States, requiring that paint intended for household or consumer-product use contain no more than 90 parts of lead per million.”

Which begs the question, if Chinese and American regulations are strict as they seem to be, why do dangerous toys keep slipping onto American store shelves, and what are parents to do?

The answer to the first question is disturbing in the sense that even a cursory examination into Chinese manufacturing processes reveals that by and large, strict regulations are nothing more than smoke and mirrors, and Chinese factories essentially will do whatever they want, or at least whatever the client wants when it comes to delivering the toys on time and according to budget. With the proliferation of big-box stores like Wal-Mart and Target, depressed consumer confidence, and increased competition, price is king and therefore drives production practices. As always, however, the old adage is true: you get what you pay for.

Which leads us to the second question, which concerns what we as parents are supposed to do given the uncertainty surrounding the latest products in the industry, especially those (nearly all) whose origins are in Chinese factories. With the “Go Green” movement building momentum in the United States, there are more and more options available to consumers who wish to purchase toys from manufacturers whose primary concern is safety, not making toys as cheaply as possible. OrganicGreenMommy’s Natural Toy Shop, featuring wooden toys, natural plush toys, and toys made from real rubber as opposed to potentially toxic plastics, is a great place to start.

Even parents who decide to purchase toys at mainstream retailers can practice safer shopping habits if they apply a few of the following tips:

• Read The Label. This point of course applies to food-buying as well, but couldn’t be more appropriate when it comes to buying toys. If you notice that a toy is “Made in China,” and is painted, realize that there is a possibility of that paint containing lead for the reasons cited above. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, of roughly 39 lead-related recalls this year, 38 were of Chinese-made goods. Is it possible to avoid Chinese toys while still shopping at Wal-Mart or Toys R’ Us? I’m not sure, but more than regulations and laws, consumer demand will always be a driving market force. If enough consumers demand higher standards, companies will be forced to comply or lose market share.

• Avoid Plastics. Besides the lead paint used to brightly color most toys, in some cases the plastics and chemicals used to make the toys themselves can be toxic. Whether or not there is a recall concerning plastics, in the United States, phthalates (pronounced thay-lates) are often added to make plastics softer and squishier. Phthalates are banned for use in consumer all over the world, but still not in the United States, and the mainstream toy industry is fighting the science that attests to their dangers tooth and nail, as currently phthalates are cheapest vehicle to achieve that desired consistency. More and more, however, there are alternatives available, this site, www.oregontoxics.org, has some great information on the subject. Alternatives like wood and certain textiles can be safer, and more desirable in a different way, as they encourage a naturalistic and tactile connection between your child and their surrounding world.

• Avoid Small Parts. While much of the focus has been on lead paint, choking hazards are perhaps a more acute concern to US consumers. Although not necessarily a “green” issue, this concern could fall under the category of “Conscious Parenting,” as we parents should try to present toys to our children that present possibilities for imagination and growth as opposed to automated, pre-programmed “fun.” The Center for Disease Control reports that around 2800 people die from choking each year, most of whom are children. While not exactly an epidemic, still something parents of which should at least be conscious.

• Encourage Imagination. Tying into my point above about encouraging a naturalistic connection to our children’s environment, this tip is perhaps the most important. What we as parents need to continue to realize is that we hold the power to shape and create exciting and playful environments that not only enliven with fun but also serve as powerful learning tools. My daughter has a blast playing with beautiful scarves, musical instruments, tea sets, non-toxic “play-dough,” and coloring books, none of which require batteries, expensive accessories, or backbreaking assembly and set up. Most of all, these playthings and activities encourage play from the inside out, cultivating imagination and encouraging connection to others and her outside world. In addition, she also loves “play” activities that don’t require toys or supplies at all, like helping us in the kitchen, weeding the garden, or wrestling with us on mommy and daddy’s bed.

Conscious parenting is about empowering ourselves and knowing that we can help reveal a beautiful and inviting world for our children that fosters their learning, emotional growth, and overall development.

For more information on the subject of toy safety, here is a link to the W.A.T.C.H. (World Against Toys Causing Harm) website. There is plenty of great information here, including lists of the “10 Worst Toys” of each year. Click here to see which toys made the list in 2007.

Have a comment, question, or idea for a post? Email Paul by clicking here. In addition to founding www.OrganicGreenDaddy.com, Paul maintains a blog over at www.monkeyinmymind.com, commenting on politics, sports, film, and whatever else his Monkey has in store for him.