Green Options

Dangerous toy recalls have predominated the news lately. From magnets that can cause severe intestinal damage or death if swallowed to lead-based paints, mass marketed children’s toys made in China are not fit for our youngest population or the workers who make them. The most recent massive recalls have come from major toy companies, such as Mattel (maker of Barbie, Batman, Dora, etc.) and

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This time my family is affected by the recent recall by Mattel. There will be tears in our household today, as toys Grandpa bought my daughter are included on the list. The concern is powerful magnets that can be swallowed and cause major damage.
The list includes:
Barbie and Tanner - hazardous magnet
Batman - hazardous magnet
Polly Pockets - hazardous magnet
Doggie Daycare - hazardous magnet
One Piece - [...]

The recall of Thomas the Tank Engine toys, as well as other recent recalls, reminds us that our children will never be safe until children are safe globally from harmful products in their toys. A recent opinion article in the New York Times by Christian Warren speaks to this issue. “The Little Engine That Could Poison” reminds us that the important lessons to be learned from these recalls is [...]

After discovering my children had the most toxic car seats evaluated by the Ecology Center, I purchased two Evenflo Big Kid Deluxe Booster Car Seats. These booster seats were lower on the list of toxicity and available locally, so it was an immediate solution to our toxic car seat problem. After one 20 minute car ride with the Evenflo Big Kid Deluxe Booster Car Seats, I developed a headache and my lungs felt weird. [...]

Once again, we are left to wonder why manufacturers of children’s products include lead in the materials. 1.5 million Thomas the Tank Engine products are being recalled due to lead in the surface paint. These wooden railway train products were sold between 2005 and 2007 and manufactured in China. You can visit the CPSC website to learn more information. Consumers are advised to take the toys away from their children [...]

I first became aware of the dangers of nonstick cookware from a student who had a pet bird. Apparently, when you cook with nonstick cookware in the oven, it gives off a gas that can be fatal to the bird. If it is fatal to a bird, isn’t this sort of the canary in the cave for human use of nonstick cookware? We immediately gave away all of our nonstick cookware, [...]

Buying natural toys does give a parent some peace of mind; however, sometimes even natural toys are recalled. The Peek-A-Boo Ball is one such natural toy, and the ecochildsplay family has it! We purchased our Peek-A-Boo Ball through Ecobaby, not Hearthsong. This fun wooden toy was recalled, because the wood can crack, allowing the small wooden people to fall out and pose a choking hazard. 22,500 Peek-A-Boo Balls were [...]