After years and years of blowing smoke in Mother Nature's face, the world has finally sought to clear the air. Green initiatives are everywhere these days. Highways are riddled with hybrid cars, wind turbines power city blocks, and people load their homes with eco-friendly cleaning products. But going green doesn't rest solely on the shoulders of adults. In order to ensure green initiatives are propelled into the future, children need to be introduced to them at an early age as well. Of course, though, a 4-year-old might not understand ozone depletion. But, on the other hand, eco-friendly toys can serve as a fun way to introduce your children to some world issues.
Eco-friendly toys play perfectly into the hands of the "reduce, reuse, recycle" principles of environmental sustainability. The first, and probably most obvious, form of eco-friendly toys is reused toys. By shopping at craft fairs and neighborhood markets, it reduces the toys' carbon footprint since they don't need to be shipped. Generally, eco-friendly toys save fuel, reduce greenhouse gases, and keep usable materials from local landfills.
While reused toys are obviously eco-friendly, a toy doesn't have to be a hand-me-down in order to benefit the environment. Eco-friendly toys are manufactured by companies who use environmentally friendly products. Basically, companies are being more resourceful in order to preserve the environment. Companies seek out materials such as rubber wood, bamboo, organic cotton, and other recycled materials. And, the cool part about this is that all this time and ingenuity is going into a toy for your little boy or girl.
Your rambunctious toddler might not understand how the world works. But, like everyone else, they have to live in it. So, by providing your children with eco-friendly toys, you're accomplishing two things. You, personally, are taking a green initiative by buying an eco-friendly toy, and you also open the door to a conversation with your kid about the environment. You can explain where the toy came from and what it means. Education from a young age is important if we hope to preserve this planet for future generations.
