Repsol YPF

Traditionally, it is the children who take centre stage at Christmas. They are the ones who are the most excited about this time of year and of course, who usually receive the most presents. Choosing the right toys is important because they will probably spend many hours playing with them, as such it is essential to give them toys that in addition to being fun and being what they asked for from the Three Kings, are also suitable for their age, contribute towards their education and do not contain toxic or pollutant materials. 

In order to guarantee the latter, toys must comply with a series of regulations established by law with the aim of protecting the child’s health. These originate from European directives 88/378/EEC and 93/68/EEC, which were subsequently adopted by the respective national legislations, and extended by certain regional regulations in some cases. 

They generally feature a label which specifies the appropriate age for each toy, that they do not have parts that could be swallowed accidentally by the child and that they do not contain potentially toxic materials in either the structure or dyes. Further information on toy safety is available here. 

Natural, biodegradable materials

You must verify that the materials the toys are made from are natural and biodegradable. That is the best way of protecting firstly the child’s health and secondly of reducing pollution both during the manufacturing process and when the toy inevitably ends up in the dustbin. 

The ideal toys in this respect are those which are made of wood, cork and recycled paper or cardboard. Furthermore, paints must be made from vegetable dyes which do not contain heavy metals or chemical solvents.

Toys which do not contain batteries are also preferable, however, in the event that they require them, it is important to make sure that they do not become a toy in their own right in the hands of children. Batteries contain highly toxic heavy metals and should not be played with, exposing their content. As such, it is preferable to use rechargeable batteries and when they are no longer useable they should be deposited in the correct place so that they can be recycled. 

Recycling toys

However, not only the batteries must be recycled. The entire toy can be recycled, especially those containing plastic or metal. However, a good option, in the event that the toy is no longer being used but remains in good condition, is to give it to younger brothers and sisters, to other children they know or to donate it to a charity that will give it to poor children. There are numerous charities and councils who do this, one of the best-known organisations in this respect is the Red Cross, which usually organises toy collection campaigns at Christmas. 

Toys which teach children to look after the environment

Lastly, where the world of toys is concerned, we must not forget those which teach children to have greater environmental awareness. As such, for example, the Imaginarium  chain offers a wide variety of environmentally-friendly toys ranging from small solar panels to manual dynamos and small windmills so that they become familiar with renewable energy sources from a young age, as well as toy boxes in which to store different types of rubbish correctly.  

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