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 Natural Toys - Naturally made from
Wood, Cotton, Fabric and Rubber
Natural and Organic Toys for your
Baby, Toddler and Child
Environmentally friendly toys that are consistently ecological and nature-friendly
as well as fun to play
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Natural Toys
Natural toys are
toys made from natural materials found in nature for example plant fibers,
woolen fibers, solid wood, metal, glass, fabric,
felt, leather and cardboard. These toys contain
no electronic or electrical parts. A toy is usually classified as natural
if more than 95% of the materials used to make the toy is natural. 
Organic toys are Natural Toys taken a step further. Toys with an Organic tag
usually
comprise of a minimum of 70% organic materials and are organically certified or processed in accordance with the
Organic Trade Association’s (OTA) definition of organic. OTA
certification means that the raw materials used for the manufacturing of the
toy, are sourced from producers that implement a system of farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers.
In other words, natural materials like cotton from controlled, biological cultivation (KBA) and sheep wool from controlled biological livestock (KBT)
.
Why do we care
about Natural or Organic Toys? Does it really matter?
Read more on why Natural and Organic toys are better for your baby and children
and on the different natural toy brands that you will find at Ape to
Zebra ....
Natural and organic toys are referred to as healthy toys for your baby and child for a reason.
* It is presumed that natural toys doesn't contain harmful substances that can be
ingested by your child.
* Wood is a naturally germ-free material, meaning that wooden toys will have less germs than plastic toys in the same environment.
* Because natural materials are found naturally in the world
around us, the production of natural toys have less of an impact on the environment
than plastic toys, especially battery operated toys. When toys, made of natural
materials, reach the end of their lifespan, they can be discarded without a
negative environmental impact. Unfortunately all natural toys are
NOT created
equal. Some toys made of natural materials may be made from wood sourced
from old growth trees, illegal or irresponsible foresting or may contain high
levels of pesticides. Also, if you purchase toys made from non-organic cotton or wool,
keep in mind that cotton accounts for a quarter of the world's use of
insecticide and sheep dipping can taint ground water with ecosystem-damaging
insecticides.
 When buying wood toys for your baby and children make sure
that the wood comes from manufacturers that enforce sustainable forest
management processes and that the surface finish on the toy is non-toxic.
You also want to ensure that the surface is resistant against UV light, bumps,
sweat and spittle.
Most wooden toys have been surface treated, which gives the wood an
attractive look and makes it more resistant against outer influences.
If the wood is colored, the coloring was either be done by covering the wood with a
paint or by
adding a stain or glaze which penetrates the wood and sets off/maintains the
structure of the wood.
In most cases these toys will have had additional treatment with a lacquer or an oil
because stain and glaze manufacturers cannot guarantee that the toy is resistant
against sweat and spittle. The lacquer or oil makes the
toy more glossy and resistant against outer influences (spittle, sweat, UV and
bumps).
Stains used for
wood coloring:
In the case where
stain was used to color the wood surface; stain pigments penetrated the wood and formed a chemical reaction with
the lignin of the wood. According to Farben-Kiroff-Technik /9/, these reactive
coloring agents are classified as poisonous and very poisonous. After the
coloring there is a risk of free reactive coloring agent remains.
Glaze used for
wood coloring:
Glaze coloring agents are often agents which have been approved for
food. Instead of reacting directly with the lignin, glaze are glued on.
The agents are not very reactive.
Both stain and glaze manufacturers recommend
that wooden toys which have been treated with their products are additionally
treated with a product which closes the surface, i.e. a lacquer, wax
(like bee wax) or a drying
oil, in order to be resistant against sweat and spittle.
Information on the surface
treatment of wooden toys by some of the well known brands:
 
Haba Wooden Toys and Games
Haba uses stain and lacquer from Votteler for coloring and surface treatment of
their wooden toys. The lacquer (used on the outside of the wooden toy's
surface to seal the surface) is certified to be safe for babies and children - harmless. Votteler guarantees that the lacquer does not contain toxic agents, chlorinated hydrocarbons,
inflammables, preservatives or additives based on PCB, lindane or similar agents.
Conclusion on Haba's Natural Toys:
* Natural wooden toys made from hardwoods
like
Beech and Maple.
* Haba source their wood from well managed forests in
Europe and has
passed Environment Standard ISO 14001 certification - continuing their policy of
active protection of the environment in every phase of the production of their
wooden and soft toys.
*
Haba's wooden toys
has a safe ,durable surface finish resistant against spittle, sweat
mechanical strain and bumps.
Selecta Spielzeug Natural Wooden Toys
... natuurlijk, van hout
Wood is a natural, growing and living raw material whose warm surface imparts everything necessary to the
sensual development of small children. Wooden structures fire the imagination and impart a variety of impressions according to which sense is appealed to.
 Selecta uses only environmentally friendly colors and varnishes, that
are EN71-3 approved for the treatment of their wooden toys, which
emphasize and enhance the unique natural beauty of the different woods and which
are completely safe.
EN71-3 is a European Standard that applies to toys.
EN71-3 deals with the safety of the products used to color and surface
finish toys (how the elements used in these products migrates - can it leach out of the toy and be absorbed by your baby's skin for example).
Selecta's baby and toddler toys receive a supplementary finish with beeswax
to close and protect the surface of the toy. Bee
wax also makes the surfaces of
the wooden toys silky soft. The natural aroma of beeswax stimulates the development of the children's senses.
Selecta's natural wooden toys are predominantly made from endemic woods. These are preferably
hard woods such as maple because long life usage is then guaranteed. In order to maintain the ecological system of the forest, Selecta is committed to
sustainable forest management. Selecta uses a special heat transfer printing process to print colorful illustrations onto wood. Selecta achieves particular color brilliance with this process and a
robust surface which is also scratch and saliva resistant and washable. The colors stay bright over many years of intensive use.
Conclusion on Seleta Spielzueg's Natural Toys:
* Natural wooden toys made from
endemic woods like
Beech and Maple.
* Selecta is committed to
sustainable forest management.
*
Selecta's wooden toys
has a safe ,durable surface finish resistant against spittle, sweat
mechanical strain and bumps.
Heros
Quality Natural Wooden Toys by Hermann Rossberg
The wood used for Heros natural wooden toys are mainly Bavarian Forest grown beech, yoke elm, and maple.
The majority of Heros' Toys are dyed and painted over. The water based dyes
and paints are saliva-proof and free from any contaminants.
All Heros paint an dyes are EN71-3 approved.
Heros regularly subject their dyed wooden
toys to a chemical saliva and sweat test. Chemical substances (the same as those
contained in human saliva and sweat), react with dyed wood surfaces for
several hours in a hot humid oven. Test strips are applied to the wood before
the test is started. For the wooden toy to pass the test, there must be no
dye residue on the test stripes that are pulled off after the test. If, however,
the dyed surface of the wooden toy is exposed to mechanical impacts (e.g. gnawing, nibbling,
scraping like when your baby teeth), then the surface finish can be damaged and
trace amounts of dye particles can be released. But since the dyes used for
Heros natural toys are water based and certified as safe by
European Standard EN71-3, it is absolutely harmless. Every production batch
of toys is tested at the paint manufacturer
itself and is certified as an EN71 paint.
Heros Natural Toys are passionate about protecting our environment and this is
eminent in every step of their production process. From the
management of the forests they get their wood from, the careful planning to ensure
efficient raw material utilization, producing as little waste as possible, Heros'
emphasis on using recyclable packaging for their toddler and children toys and
the investment in their own Power Plant.
Heros generate their own power necessary
for their machinery and toy production processes. As part of their conservation
efforts, Heros utilize all wood waste resulting from the various toy production steps
to power the plant. Using wood to produce power ensures a clean and environmentally
friendly power source. Heros didn't cut any corners and implemented modern filtration systems
that ensure low emission exhaust air. These emissions are then converted into fresh oxygen by
their surrounding forests.
Conclusion on Heros Natural Toys:
* Natural wooden toys made from
hard woods like
Beech, Yoke Elm, and Maple.
* Heros is committed to
sustainable forest management
and is proving their commitment to our environment in every step of their
production process.
*
Heros wooden toys
has a safe ,durable surface finish and all their paints and dyes are
harmless is ingested.
Plan Toys
Environmentally Friendly, Natural Wooden Toys by Plan Toys
Plan Toys use Green, environmentally-friendly materials for manufacturing their wooden toys:
Recycled Rubber Wood
All toys made by Plan Toys are made from clean, natural rubber wood recycled from rubber trees no longer able to produce latex.
Non Chemical Preservative Wood
Plan Toys stabilizes the wood using a time consuming chemical-free kiln drying process which ensure that there are no harmful substances added to the raw material.
E-Zero: Non-Formaldehyde Glue
Plan Toys are assembled with a proprietary non-formaldehyde glue, replacing the traditional toxic wood glue. The glue used by Plan Toys is E-Zero - meaning it has no formaldehyde emission making it environmentally friendly and very safe for baby and children toys.
Water Based Dye
Plan Toys use only non-toxic, baby safe, water based dyes to add accent colors to their all natural wooden toys. The water based colors contain no heavy metals and are lead free and mercury free.
Recycled and Recyclable Material
Plan Toys make use of recycled and recyclable material to minimize their environmental footprint.
Soy and Water Based Ink
Plan Toys only use soy or water based ink on printed materials. This ink decomposes faster than regular chemical ink and can be recycled more efficiently.
All toys made by Plan Toys meet and exceed toy safety standards ASTM and EN71
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