What are eco friendly toys?
There are number of ways you could define eco friendly toys. We have chosen toys that fit at least one of the following criteria:
Made from renewable or recycled resources. For our wooden toys this means they are produced from timbers from sustainably managed plantations or recycled rubberwod. For our cardboard and paper products this means they are produced from paper or board with a high percentage of post-consumer waste or by-products or sugar production
Non-toxic, natural and water-based  finishes. All of our wooden toys are finished with non-toxic finishes, and many of the finishes are water based. Some of our manufacturers are developing new bio-paint finishes based on edible oils.
Organic: Toys made from certified organic fabrics and coloured with low impact dyes.
Teach children about the environment. These toys may not be produced from eco friendly materials but we have chosen them because they teach about the value of looking after our plant. Where available we always choose options made from eco friendly materials.

In addition eco friendly toys are often biodegradeable, reyclable, use no batteries, and are manufactured using sustainable technologies and practices. However, our primary test of a toy's eco friendly credentials is the type of material used in its production or its eductional value. Copypaper made from bleached virgin pulp is biodegradable and recycleable, but it is not eco friendly. Click our link to see our great range of eco toys.


What are the Environmental Benefits of Wooden Toys

Wooden toys are made from a renewable resource and are readily biodegradeable, making them a better environmental choice than many of the plastic toys heavily marketed at parents and children.
Quality wooden toys also tend to be very durable. A wooden toy is often purchased for a first child, played with by her brothers and sisters and then handed on to lucky cousins. They truely do handle the rough and tumble of play, and is partly why they are so popular in preschools.
Wooden toys generally do not require batteries which have a harmful effect on our environment.
Wooden toys are generally safer for children than many plastic toys. Natural wood doesn't have any leaching properties. PVC, which is still used in many toy found in Australia, is known to leach phthalates, chemicals linked to numerous health problems. While the use of PVC in toys has been banned in the EU since 1999, and a similar ban is due to come into effect in the US this year, the Australian government is still considering the issue and toys made with PVC are still widely available. Quality woden toys are a safer, eco friendly choice for our children.

So all wooden toys are eco-friendly?

Not necessarily. While the majority of wooden toys these days are made from plantation timbers, not all of the plantations are managed sustainably. At Tree Frog Toys our wooden toys are produced from depleted rubberwood trees that are then replanted or timbers sourced from sustainably managed plantations.
Wooden toys have also been associated with the recent toxic toy scandles. Furthermore, some older wooden toys may have lead based paint. Many of our wooden toys are finished with water based and natural finishes that do not contain any heavy metals. Our other wooden toys are finished with safe, non-toxic paints.
When purchasing toys it is important to ensure that you are buing a safe, quality product. That is why we add product information to the listings of all our wooden toys. Click our link to view our wonderful wooden toys.