Toys "R" Us unveils new line of green toys
I spend a fair amount of time in Babies "R" Us and Toys "R" Us looking for items for baby showers and for my own children. I have seen a shift over the past couple of years in the growing availability of organic clothing and wooden toys. Obviously these products are selling well because on Earth Day, Toys "R" Us will begin selling their own line of environmentally friendly toys.
Two types of toys will make their debut, Natural Wooden Toys and Natural Cotton Plush Animals. The wooden toys are made from wood grown well-managed forests and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The plush animals are constructed from unprocessed, unbleached and untreated cotton. Each toy is boxed in a package containing 70% recycled material.Toys "R" Us' new line can be identified by a green seal with the words, "recycle, renew, reuse,and re-think."
It appears that the toy giant has tried its best to hit all of the trendy words: organic, recycled, and natural. However, this is one of those situations when I have to roll my eyes. The toy industry preys on parents and children alike to buy massive amounts of unneeded STUFF. I am not above buying toys for my kids, however, no matter how eco-friendly the toy and the package, wouldn't the best option be to buy gently used toys or to make toys out of unused household items? Perhaps instead of creating a new line of toys, Toys "R" Us could encourage their suppliers to change existing manufacturing methods. Just a thought.
It's Energy Independence Day! 
Green Your 4th of July Celebration
The Importance of Pollination - It's Not Just Bee Sex
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-31-2008 @ 1:24PM
Patricia said...
I agree with you that I am sure that current trends played into their decision. But if someone buys one of these instead of a conventional toy, complete with plastic and batteries and blinking lights, then maybe it's a good thing overall.
Reply
3-31-2008 @ 9:02PM
Heather said...
Yeah, you have good points.
I do think that overall it's a good trend, though. There's always going to be a market for new toys, no matter how many of us are hitting up the flea markets and garage sales.
Personally, I draw the line at used stuffed animals, but for other types of toys second-hand is often the way to go if you can do it.
Reply
4-01-2008 @ 10:33AM
Karsten said...
EVERY big company in the USA will have a GREEN LINE soon, no matter how high or low its impact. It is a marketing strategy. You loose market share if you do not follow the wave of green washing. It is not that Americans do not want to be "green", they just do not want to change their habits a whole lot. The solution: Feel Green! Or at least, allow people to feel green easier while continuing consuming your stuff.
Sorry, I don't trust the companies who have squeezed whatever they can squeeze to reduce prices going green now. If you stop abusing the people abroad and the environment as well, the prices HAVE to go up. This is not what they want or ever supported. I am VERY SKEPTICAL that this is more than a "feel-good", "Believe-what-you-want-to-be-true" marketing gimmick.
Karsten
--
http://www.polluteless.com
Practical Advice to Pollute Less
Reply
4-01-2008 @ 10:36AM
kelly.leahy said...
Fewer battery operated toys will be good for the environment as well as my sanity.
Reply
4-05-2008 @ 5:14PM
michele said...
Wonderful. So more trees will be cut down to make wooden "green" toys, and the cotton plush animals will trigger more allergies in young children, unlike plush toys that are made with synthetic modacrylic fiber that is non-allergenic and recyclable. This is all a marketing ploy. It helps and solves nothing.
Reply