Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Brief 2: RSA Fair Play - Research into existing toy materials

Most toys that are around today are made out of plastic. There has been concerns over the plastic materials of toys as parents have been worried about the toxicity levels and the fumes of which the toys have been produced around. BPA, PVC and Phthalates especially have been a cause for concern as they are known to have contain lead which can cause cancer and/or lead to hormone imbalance.
It could be worse if the toys that are made from these materials, are in smaller sizes where children can put in their mouths.

Plastics are very bad for the environment and has been a cause of concern since plastic was used in standard manufacturing processes. Plastic is made from oil which is a non-renewable resource. If the toy itself is made from plastic, it could be made worse as the outer packaging will mostly likely also be made from plastic. Plastic is a material that does not decompose and when the toy is eventually done withand thrown out, the toy will remain in land fills forlonger than a human life expectancy.

Toys are only 1% of a single household consumption of wastage, it doesn’t sound like a lot but it does all add up, especially if the toys are made of plastic, it could have more on an impact on the environment. In 2017 alone, it has been reported that 100,000 tonnes of plastic packaging have been disposed during the Christmas period.

Typical board games are made using cardboard for the outer box and the board, card and paper for the board game design to be laid on top of the board, buckram for the backing, vacuum-formed plastic tray to organise game pieces, plastic/metal game pieces and dice. Most of the board game and its componentscannot be recycled and will just end up in landfill.

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