Are Plastic Toys Safe?

We hear so many questions about the safety of plastic toys. Readers ask things like, “This says it’s free from BPA and phthalates, but what is it actually made of?” or “I’ve heard about BPA-free baby bottles and water bottles, but I don’t really understand what BPA was, or why it was harmful.”

Our advice is this… If you have to have a PhD in chemistry to figure out what’s in a product designed for babies and small children, chances are your child shouldn’t be playing with it, chewing on it, or eating or drinking from it.

While many natural parents here in the U.S. feel it’s about time we catch up with Europe and other developed nations on product safety, the majority of parents are left wondering what was wrong with plastic toys in the first place.

So, are plastic toys safe?

What Type Of Plastic Are Toys Made From?

The combination of a few chemicals, mostly found in PVC plastics, is what makes plastic toys dangerous for kids and babies.

Harmful additives to PVC

Phthalates (pronounced thay-lates) give a plastic toy its soft, squishy feel.  These are the gender-bending culprits you’ve heard of – endocrine disruptors.

Cadmium is a plastic stabilizer. A known carcinogen, cadmium also affects normal brain growth and can cause kidney damage.

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