Toy buying used to be such an easy and fun thing to do. You found something you liked. You checked that it was age-appropriate. And then you bought it.

But with increased concerns over the years about what materials and chemicals have been used to produce the toy, toy buyers are often left dazed and confused.

The toy might be labelled “all natural” or “earth friendly,” but with no consistent guidelines and standards, they are marketing phrases that mean almost anything and most often nothing at all.

Not to worry – help will soon be at hand.

EcoLogo, a third-party eco-labeling program operating under guidelines of the Global Ecolabelling Network, is currently working on a certification program to standardize the environmental friendliness of toys.

Over the next 12 to 18 months, EcoLogo, supported by Dr. Sally Edwards, director of the Sustainable Children’s Products Initiative at the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production (University of Massachusetts, Lowell) and staff at the University of Tennessee Center for Clean Products, and in consultation of toy manufacturer”˜s and retailers, will be developing some environmental standards for toys.

The end result – a set of standards that will clearly define whether or not a toy is eligible to EcoLogo certification.

Hopefully it will make toy buying a whole lot easier for anyone looking for safe and environmentally-friendly toys.

Image: Gaetan Lee