According to a new study conducted by the University of Gothenburg, allowing children to play with used plastic toys may pose a health risk. Researchers at the university tested a large number of old plastic toys and dress-up items for the study.
Following a thorough investigation, they discovered that 84% of the items contained toxins that can disrupt children’s growth, development, and reproductive capacities. The study, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances, demonstrates that these toxins will be an impediment to the future circular economy involving reuse and recycling.
The hazardous chemicals discovered included phthalates and short-chain chlorinated paraffins, which are used as plasticisers and flame retardants in toys, according to the study’s lead author, Professor Bethanie Carney Almroth. When Professor Bethanie Carney Almroth compared new and old toys, she discovered that the latter had phthalate concentrations of more than 40% of the toy’s weight.
Environmental Economist at the University of Gothenburg explains that the study shows that reuse and recycling are not always beneficial. ‘The transition to a more circular economy necessitates bans and other policy measures that remove hazardous chemicals from plastic and other materials,’ said Daniel Slunge. ‘Although the Toy Safety Directive has been critical in reducing the prevalence of hazardous chemicals in toys, it only applies to new toys, not old ones,’ he adds.
It follows the adoption of a Circular Economy Action Plan by the European Parliament to discourage wasteful behaviour that depletes the Earth’s finite resources. The EU legislation regulated the permissible quantities of a number of chemical substances found in toys in an attempt to protect the health and safety of children. The Toy Safety Directive allows 0.15 percent by weight of short-chain chlorinated paraffins and 0.1 percent by weight of phthalates in new toys.
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