Plastic Toys
Associations

More

Plastic Toys

The majority of plastic toys produced worldwide are made from just a few plastic materials including high- and low-density polyethylene (LDPE, HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinylchloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS, ABS), polycarbonate (PC), and polyester (PET). All are unbelievably useful and versatile and are very attractive materials for toys, because plastic is almost indestructible, can be easily cleaned, and can last for many years. However, some plastic materials may contain harmful chemicals which make them unsafe and unsuitable for your child. We hope the information below helps you to better understand the health risks of the chemicals that maybe found in plastics and how to avoid them by buying safer and more sustainable children's toys.

 

Children's Toys

 

Phthalate-Containing Plastics - Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

Polyvinylchloride (also known as PVC or vinyl) is the third-largest commodity plastic in the world. Pure PVC is very hard and brittle which makes it unsuitable for most plastic toys. In the past, phthalates have been added to soften PVC. Since phthalates are not chemically bound to PVC, they can evaporate or leach out upon contact with liquids or fats and thus can be absorbed by the human body which poses health risks to small children. For this reason, several European countries have taken steps to ban the use of phthalates in children's toys.1
Some major toy companies have removed soft PVC toys from their product line. For example, the Lego Group, one of the largest toy manufacturers, has replaced PVC with ABS in all or most toys and will remove PVC from all remaining products including their packaging material (Lego Group Progress Report 2012). They also announced to invest more than 100 million US$ to develop and implement new, sustainable raw materials to manufacture LEGO® bricks as well as packaging materials.3 Many other toy companies have taken precautionary actions as well.


Bisphenol A-containing Plastics - Polycarbonates and Epoxies

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a monomer used in several plastics, including polycarbonate (PC) and epoxy (DGEBA). The latter is used in coatings for food and beverage liners and the former for clear and tough plastic toys. For example, polycarbonate is used in clear Lego pieces that need to be more flexible than ABS. The safety of PC toys will depend on the free bisphenol A content (which is typically very small), the exposure time, and the temperature. Most polycarbonate resins are considered safe, meaning they allegedly do not contain noticeable amounts of free bisphenol A.4 However, some studies have shown that BPA can leach from some of these products when in contact with food and drinks resulting in ingestion of small amounts of BPA,5 which can have adverse health effects on children because BPA is an endocrine disruptor that can interfere with the human endocrine system.5 For this reason, the European Union has set limits to the migration of bisphenol A out of toys.6
Polycarbonates that do not contain bisphenols, such as Eastman Tritan, are most likely safe to be used in plastic toys.


Styrene-containing Plastics - High-Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) and Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS)

Polystyrene is a rigid, brittle and inexpensive plastic sometimes used to make plastic toys. The monomer is often copolymerized with other monomers or the polymer is blended with other plastics to improve its properties such as flexibility and softness. Two large volume styrene-based plastics are high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS). These resins are (extensively) used in the plastic industry. The safety of PS products will depend on the free styrene content, which is typical very small. The amount of toxic ingredients leaching from PS toys will also depend on the temperature and exposure time. For example, it was found that very small amounts of styrene and some other aromatic compounds leached continuously from polystyrene (PS) bottles when stored for one-year at room temperature and very small amounts of styrene leached from PS foam food containers and cups when in contact with hot food or drinks.7,8 
Despite the assurance of the CSPA and toy companies that ABS plastic is stable and does not leach toxic substances, we don’t recommend styrene-based plastics as an alternative to plasticized PVC for infant children’s toys because it is made from innately hazardous chemicals such as styrene which is suspected to cause cancer.


What is the safest plastic in toys?

To avoid plastics that can release hazardous substances such as bisphenol A and phthalates, look for a label that guarantees the toy is free of any toxic substance. This greatly reduces the risk that the plastic contains potentially dangerous chemicals. If you can’t find a label, look for the RIC symbol, which is often printed or molded on plastic products and identifies the type of plastic resin. For example, the numbers 2 or 4 on plastic toys stands for high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and low-density polyethylene (LPDE, LLPDE), respectively. Both are BPA-, styrene- and phthalate-free plastics. A plastic with similar properties as polystyrene is polylactic acid (PLA). PLA and other bioplastics can replace PS and PVC in many applications. However, bioplastics are more expensive than most synthetic commodity plastics because of limited supply and more expensive raw materials. Two major producers of bioplastics are NatureWorks and Total Corbion.

The safety of your child should always be your highest priority. Please choose toys that are made from materials that are safe, eco-friendly, and sustainable.

References and Notes

  1. Tests conducted by various European countries and by Greenpeace have indicated that phthalate plasticizers in plastic toys pose a health risk to small children. According to the International Council of Toy Industries (ICTI), these results are inconclusive as to what health effects phthalates might cause in children. The ICTI states: "They (the critics) claim that harmful chemicals migrate from the soft plastic and accumulate in the human body causing serious health threats. These allegations are simply not true and do not stand up to scientific scrutiny." (see ICTI article: "Vinyl Toys Are Safe")

  2. EUR-Lex: 98/485/EC Commission Recommendation of 1 July 1998 on childcare articles and toys intended to be placed in the mouth by children of less than three years of age, made of soft PVC containing certain phthalates (notified under document number SEC(1998) 738).

  3. Lego News, LEGO Group to Invest 1 Billion DKK Boosting Search for Sustainable Materials, Roar Rude Trangbæk, 16 June 2015.

  4. S.R. Howe, L. Borodinsky, Food Addit Contam. 15(3): 370-5 (1998)

  5. B.S. Rubin, J. Steroid Biochem. Mol. Biol., 127(1-2), 27-34 (2011)

  6. Commission Directive (EU) 2017/898 of 24 May 2017 amending, for the purpose of adopting specific limit values for chemicals used in toys, Appendix C to Annex II to Directive 2009/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the safety of toys, as regards bisphenol A

  7. M. Ahmad, A.S. Bajahlan, J. Environ. Sci. (China), 19(4): 421-6 (2007)

  8. Although ABS and HIPS contain styrene, which is harmful and is suspected of causing cancer, many styrene-based products might be stable at room temperature and might leach out only very small amounts of toxic compounds upon contact with liquids.9 However, measuring the true level of children’s exposure to harmful volatile substances from toys is extremely difficult, and thus more investigations are necessary to ensure the children’s safety.

  9. Y. Abe, M. Yamaguchi, M. Mutsuga, H. Akiyama, Y. Kawamura, Am. J. Analyt. Chem. 4, 229-237 (2013)