PVC (short for Polyvinyl chloride) is also known as Plastic # 3, Vinyl, V and “poison plastic” and poses many health and ecological threats. Its production involves the use of toxic, cancer-causing chemicals.  More specifically, it has been identified as the cause of angiosarcoma, a rare form of liver cancer. PVC is also known to damage the liver and central nervous system.

If you are looking to lighten up your impact on the planet, turn away from plastic and battery-operated toys and choose cloth or wooden ones instead. There are many more such toys out there than you might think, and they are not necessarily that expensive.

Playing is a very important part of a child’s day. Just like with sleep and food, we adults need to make sure that what we give our kids or our friend’s kids is safe and healthy. We need to ensure that they have access to lead-, mercury-, arsenic- and other chemical-free toys. A daunting task sometimes, but there are many tools that we can use to help us.