Ftalatfria (BPA-fria) nappar

There is never enough written about health problems and damages our children can have by using and playing with toys containing Phthalates (BPA). The first contact they may have with BPA is actually through pacifiers. I was glad to learn that nowadays there are natural alternatives to "old" pacifiers (those potentially containing BPA).

This natural pacifier is helpful in satisfying your baby’s need for self-soothing, while preventing possible negative effects on teeth and palate formation created by his or her thumb sucking. The rounded shape tends to work better for breast-fed babies because the tongue is positioned under the nipple as it is during breast-feeding--helping prevent nipple confusion. About 80% of babies tend to move pacifiers around in their mouths. Because the tongue’s position never changes, European midwives recommend starting babies on rounded pacifiers.



The orthodontic shape, however, is the most popular. The tip of the nipple is slanted to encourage tongue movement against it (as opposed to under it), and the tongue’s pressure is directed towards the tip.

The natural pacifier, "Goldi-Sauger" is made from pure natural rubber from the Hevea Brasiliensi tree. The protein that on rare occasions can provoke a latex allergy is eliminated during the production of the pacifiers. It is certified, which means that it conforms to the European Union (EU) directive in this product area concerned with safety, health and environment. (Pacifier Safety requirements by European standard EN 1400.)

A natural pacifier means you avoid:
• Allergy-causing substances
• Artificial colour
• Cancer-causing substances
• Hormone-disturbing substances
• Chemical softeners
• Parabens, PVC and phthalates

So, next time when buying a pacifier or a bottle, take your time reading the tag so to make sure there is no BPA or any other toxic chemicals in the product which may harm your little one.
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En 3R Skype telefon!!!!

I know you are not gonna believe (neither did I when I got it) but this old military field phone is our "new" 3R skype phone. As I am much into making new out of old material, paper, wood, plastic..., I think my better half :-) is breaking all the records!

For weeks he was checking if the second hand shop at Södermalm has reoppened after vacations and I must admit I was "suspecting" some old-new gadget to appear at our home. But this was really unexecped. Who would imagine our Skype phone to get a new look? I find it cool and truly enjoy having it on my working desk. Needless to tell you how all our friends react! We already have some "orders"...

All in all, I love this idea. I think this is as 3R as it gets! Read more...

Ballonger och miljö

I have recently been to a birthday party and as usual, the front entrance, the garden, the house and even the street were decorated with balloons. Needless to say we all had a great time, especially when at the end of the party all balloons were released into the sky accompanied by a glass of champagne with the usual “hip hip hourrah”. But when back home, I was wondering what, if any, effect do balloons have on our environment. And I was surprised to learn that they DO have, even those so called “ecological”.

Probably you did not know that helium balloons (the “regular” ones), and even latex ones (the “ecological” ones) can pose a serious risk to marine wildlife, despite manufacturers' claims to the contrary. The balloon industry argues that, because they are made of latex, they are biodegradable at the same rate as an oak leaf and have no effect on the environment. But environmentalists will disagree. The concern is not so much about their biodegradability, but the effect they have on animals that mistake them for food and consume them once they burst or come back down to ground. Animals also become entangled in the strings and ribbons that are still attached.


For more information on balloon effects on our environment, please consult:
- The Studies of Marine Animals
- Pollution issues UK website
- UK Rivers Network
- Earth Talks Q&A

While I am not suggesting that we should have “balloon-free parties”, I am just proposing that we take better responsibility in just a few simple ways:
• Keep balloons indoors (if possible),
• Never purposely release them into the sky,
• When they are outdoors, weight them down to prevent “escape”, and
• Detach the strings and simply dispose of them properly when you’re finished with them.

I agree, balloons are great fun, especially for children, but the “price” our environment is paying is quite high.
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Ett underbart återvunnet grönt träd!

Throwing away items that could be recycled diminishes energy, water and natural resources that could be saved by recycling. Recycled doesn’t have to mean old or used, in fact some of the most fun, cool and funky items are made from recycled materials.

Here is the proof! This fantastic “Green” Tree, made of super durable recycled cardboard and non-toxic, child-safe inks, is a highly imaginative 3-D puzzle and construction set. Brightly-coloured, amazingly-cool graphics are featured on 120 durable, recycled cardboard pieces. To explain the Green Tree is a little tricky but it's essentially like building your own tree out of cardboard birds, birdhouses, leaves, mushrooms, apples and other pieces of printed plant and wood textures. It stands c:a 70 cm high and seems like such a fun, creative way to spend an afternoon. Afterward, it becomes a work of art to display...

It can also become a 3-D family tree! Work with your child to compile names of family members. Then write the names with a marker on the leaves or on labels and affix them on the leaves. Use photographs or a combination of both. Be creative! Arrange the branches and leaves for groups of extended families. Put great-grandparents and grandparents near the top. You can even add pets. Why not!


Construction or building toys like this Tree contribute to a child's early learning in a number of ways such as developing creativity skills, strengthening fine motor skills, and refining spatial awareness. Fine motor skills play an important role in preparing kids to be self-sufficient (to write legibly with a pencil, to dress, or to brush his or her teeth). Construction toys engage the imagination and strengthen problem solving and analytical skills. As a cooperative activity, construction toys are good for bringing children or child and parent together to problem solve, learn together, and communicate effectively.

Most probably you already know but let me remind you that the world’s population is expanding amazingly fast for our “mother” planet to cope with our needs. In the year 2000 it reached over 6 billion people and is estimated that by 2050 the population will rise to over 9 billion! With the worlds natural resources already stretched it is easy to see how these resources will be depleted. If we intend to leave our children and grandchildren with the same standard of living we have enjoyed, we must start to think about our efforts to preserve it.

Children might wonder why we need to bother buying recycled goods – surely the shops will still be full of shiny, brand new things, no matter how much recycled stuff is about? We should encourage them to find out about the production processes of many everyday items and what happens to them when they are no longer required – finding out specifically how things are disposed of and the effect the waste has on the environment, wildlife and climate will probably be all the encouragement they need to look for recycled alternatives!

Some tips for getting your children interested in recycling:

1) Give your kids a shopping challenge next time you go to the supermarket – armed with your usual list, see how much household stuff they can find that's recycled – bin bags, toilet paper and stationery should all be easy to spot – but are there any surprises on the shelves? I know it takes more of your time for shopping but not that is useful, it can be fun as well!

2) Craft projects are a great way to involve your children in recycling at home and making their own recycled goods. A good way to start them off could be by resisting the temptation to go out and buy new craft items for school projects – why not make a vow to make all homework projects from recycled materials? You could even get the school involved and make it a policy all the children adopt.

Recycled products aren't just fun or the latest fashion- making them the norm to our children will go a long way in reducing rubbish, protecting the environment and the planet for the future generations.

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Den inte så underbara Disneys värld

I must admit that until recently, when buying toys, I never thought about the environmental impact toy production companies or companies which activities are directly related to children may have on our environment and, in fact, on our health.

Here is an interesting article about a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles which alleges that Disney Corporation has been dumping waste from their on-site cooling systems since 1998. According to the suit, brought by Environmental World Watch Inc. and local residents, the company supplied, dumped, released, deposited and continues to supply, dump, release and deposit vast amounts of cancer-causing chromium 6, air cooling water and residues, and other various toxic waste materials.

The Disney Corporation has so far declined to comment on the specifics of the case but is denying any wrongdoing.


Previously the contaminated runoff stayed on Disney property. But then, the suit alleges, the flow was changed and now goes through an underground pipeline that flows into the Los Angeles River and curb side drains. It seems that now a land parcel next to the studio´s Imagineering facilities is contaminated with significant quantities of chromium 6.

According to Burbank Leader, the contamination is so high that is threatening underground drinking water supplies, according to the complaint. It is also alleged that Disney stayed silent on the possible danger to the public for over 20 years, ignoring a 1986 law (Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act) that requires facilities to report toxins released into air and water.

According to Environmental World Watch Inc., it seems that even government criminal prosecution investigators have joined the case on June 2nd and CBS Television in Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Times have taken significant interest in the case. It will be interesting, not only to hear the verdict but also to see how long this court case will last.

And meanwhile, we all enjoy Disney's toys, cartoons, videos, games... from one generation to another.

(Image: bredgur on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.)

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Lansering av Touffies 3R leksakskollektion

Since I was small, I liked to remake - redesign already used clothes from my older sister or mom, and make for myself something new, different, original and unique. Later, when I became parent, I found pleasure in making soft toys for my little ones without being aware or knowing anything about the 3R. But now, having Touffie, I realised that my youth passion and the wish to contribute to the 3R could in fact become my own little green step for a more sustainable future of our children on our planet. So, here is Touffie's first 3R soft toys collection that does not cost our planet: toys which Reduce waste by being made of Recycled or Reused materials.


We have all heard the catchy 3R term. The last R, Recycling, tends to get all the credit. Reducing and Reusing, however, are even more important. At Touffie we believe that if we can reduce the raw materials we consume, we will not only create less waste but also not need to worry about what to do with all the things that we buy when we are done with them. REUSE is a great way to make the most of the things that we buy. The 3R Touffie toy collection is hand-made in "artisan" way, from used baby/child clothes, purchased second hand, with visible imperfections which give each toy its look and spirit of grandma-hand-made toy. By reusing baby and children clothes, we turn them into something fun for the next generation of newborns and for saving the earth's precious resources... with all our love for the children and our Planet!

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Mattel (och Fisher-Price) bötfällda 23 MUSD över bly i leksaker

Between September 2006 and August 2007, Mattel imported almost 900,000 toys that violated rules on lead levels. Its subsidiary toddler toys division Fisher-Price imported as many as 1.1 million. According to CNNMoney, now the corporation is paying the price.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (USA) states that the $2.3 million fine is the highest levied against a toy company. As we all well remember, the lead recalls caused panic among parents. Mattel's negligence in manufacturing had the collective consumer culture in Europe and US pointing a finger at China as the cause of problems. But it’s not only China.


Last year, the Healthy Toys site ran tests on 1,500 toys. They found that lead is still very much found in toys. This is regardless of where the toy is manufactured or how much they cost. 21 percent of toys from China and 16 percent of those from all other countries had detectable levels of lead in 2008.

Since our toy shops in Sweden are overloaded with Mattel (eg. Barbie dolls) and Fischer-Price toys, and you want to buy lead-free and/or non-toxic toys, here are some tips to help you look for those toys:
- Look for unfinished wood or natural finishes, such as beeswax.
- Buy hand-made and local.
- Buy organic toys whenever possible.
- Check out the Konsumentverket site and/or Healthy Toys site. Healthy Toys has both a Best Toys and Worst Toys list, which is mighty helpful.
- And to be more environmental friendly, look for toys that have as little packaging as possible.

(Image: cursed things on Flickr under a Creative Common License.)

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