Are you looking for ways to reduce your family's impact on the planet? Eco-friendly toy brands offer a great solution! Not only do these toys use sustainable materials and limit waste production, but they also prioritize toddlers' health and safety. Take a look at six of the best toy companies manufacturing toys using eco-friendly and sustainable practices.
Toy Companies
Shore Buddies
Aurora Eco Nation
Sarah's Silks
Green Toys
Plan Toys
Tegu
Eeboo
Big Future Toys
Gommu by Tiny Cottons
Price | $15- $25
Eco-friendly Materials | recycled plastic bottles
Best For | Marine & ocean life plushes
Shore Buddies are a line of cuddly, eco-friendly, and beach/ocean themed stuffed animals! Each character has a small sound button. When kids press the button, they'll hear a sound recording of the animal provided by professional marine biologists.
How Are Shore Buddies Made?
The specific type of plastic used for Shore Buddies is PET. Each plush is created from six recycled plastic bottles. The bottles are cleaned and sent to factories where they are shredded into tiny plastic pellets. These pellets turn out to be super soft, soft enough to use as stuffing for Shore Buddies. Some pellets are also melted down and transformed into polyester yarn for stitching the characters together.
Does Shore Buddies Participate in Other Sustainability Initiatives?
The company reports that as of 2022, they've prevented over 2 million plastic bottles from entering our oceans. You can also find comfort in knowing that $1 from every purchase goes towards marine life conservation.
✨ Top Shore Buddy Recommendations
Stephen the Seagull is Shore Buddies' most popular character. Ironically, the seagull is currently the brand's only plush toy that isn't a sea creature. Finn the Dolphin and Sammy the Seal are super adorable.
If you have a budding marine biologist that's outgrown interest in stuffed animals, Shore Buddies also makes the characters in keychain form. Keychains make a fun addition to any backpack!
Where Can You Buy Shore Buddies?
You can purchase the plushes and keychains either directly from Shore Buddies or on Amazon.
Do Shore Buddies Come in Eco-friendly Packaging?
Their website offers no information on packaging but it's probably safe to assume they don't use any plastic in their packaging (their mission calls for reducing plastic usage to prevent plastic from ending up in oceans).
Price | $13- $19
Eco-friendly Materials | 100% biodegradable pellets
Best For | Animal Pushes
Aurora Eco Nation is a sustainably based plush toy company that makes a wide selection of eco-friendly stuffed animals.
Although their parent company, Aurora has been around since 1981, the company began transitioning to using sustainable materials for it's plush toys in 2018. Your little one will adore snuggles with these detailed animals.
How Are Eco Nation Plushes Made?
Similar to Shore Buddies, Aurora Eco Nation shreds plastic bottles into pellets. Some of the pellets go towards filling up the soft animal friends while some are used to create their charming fur.
Does Aurora Eco Nation Participate in Other Sustainability Initiatives?
Aurora Eco Nation highlights that they're saving over 400 million plastic bottles globally per year and contributing to a greener world by producing all of their plush toys using eco-friendly materials.
✨ Top Aurora Eco Nation Recommendations
The Eco Nation line includes a large variety of animals to choose from. The wolf is one of my favorites. But, you can find such a wide range of animals, including farm animals, sea creatures, wildlife animals, mythical creatures, and even dinosaurs!
Eco Ebba is their newest line of eco-friendly stuffed animals, designed specifically for babies!
Where Can You Buy Eco Nation Plushes?
Believe it or not, I discovered these little guys on the shelf of my local grocery store- Wegmans. You can also buy them directly from Aurora Eco Nation and on Amazon.
Do Eco Nation Plushes Come in Eco-friendly Packaging?
If you buy one of these plushes at the store, they don't come in any packaging, like most stuffies. If you buy directly from the Aurora Eco Nation, you'll find that all of their shipping boxes are made from recycled materials. In the future, Aurora is investing in using poly bags and sourcing recycled J-Hook and Dennison plastic tag pins.
Price | $10- $30
Eco-friendly Materials | non-toxic dyes & natural silk
Best For | open-ended play
I’m obsessed with the toy scarves Sarah's Silks makes! But, you might be thinking, what on earth will my kid do with a silk scarf? Give your kiddo an hour with a playsilk and you'll quickly observe that the possibilities are endless!
Sarah's Silks are such an asset and a must-have for open-ended play. I've watched kids turn scarves into capes, belts, dresses, and tablecloths.
How Are Sarah's Silks Made?
Commonly known as playsilks, these scarves are designed using non-toxic dyes and pure silk, which also makes them biodegradable. I know, pretty amazing, right?!
✨ Top Sarah's Silks Recommendations
Playsilks make an awesome addition to any playroom because they enhance dramatic play and spark kid's imagination! The soft, silk texture of Sarah's Silks scarves, along with the variety of designs, truly sets the company apart from other playsilks. Sensory-seekers and tactile lovers will really enjoy twiddling the texture between their fingers.
You can also pair the giant silk scarves with a fort building kit and wooden playclips to create a memorable experience for little ones!
The company has recently expanded to selling a variety of wooden toys, including, wooden play houses, wooden rainbows, wooden balance boards, and versatile play frames to name a few.
Does Sarah's Silks Participate in Other Sustainability Initiatives?
Aside from producing the scarves with natural silk, the company reduces waste by holding pop up "Sarah's Silks Seconds" grab bag sales. During these sales, you can find scarves with minor flaws (like a misaligned hem) and other toys discounted for 60% off standard prices.
Tip: You can only get notified of these sales if you subscribe to their email list
Where Can You Buy Sarah's Silks?
Sarah's Silks can be purchased at toy stores, children's boutiques, and museum shops worldwide. You can check their store locator for shops closest to you.
The most popular scarves are sold on Amazon, but the widest selection of silk scarves can be purchased on their site.
Do Sarah's Silks Come in Eco-friendly Packaging?
All scarves purchased directly from Sarah's Silks are shipped in fully recyclable brown cardboard envelopes. The packing around individual scarves is made of paper that's also recyclable!
Price | $12- $20
Eco-friendly Materials | recycled milk jugs
Best For | Fine motor & pretend play toys
Green Toys is a well-known brand in the world of sustainable toys. The company's commitment to the use of eco-friendly materials throughout production has created an eye-catching line of toddler toys. Many of these toys include soft, inviting pastel colors, and are designed with an emphasis on simplicity.
How Are Green Toys Made?
Green Toys are made from recycled plastic milk jugs and sometimes yogurt cups.
The process is explained as such, "all the plastic is collected by waste management, cleaned, shredded into flakes, reprocessed into our raw material (high-density polyethylene or HDPE), and mixed with food-safe, mineral-based coloring."
Every toy is given an extra inspection to meet the company's high safety standards, before being packaged for customers.
✨ Top Green Toys Recommendations
I've personally purchased and child-tested many toys from the Green Toys brand. Star Stacker Cups, Helicopter, and Build-a-Bouquet were a hit amongst toddlers I've worked with (ages 1-3) and even with my 4-year-old nephews!
Does Green Toys Participate in Other Sustainability Initiatives?
Green Toys are completely made in the USA, including the manufacturing, assembly, and distribution of toys. As a result, the company is able to reduce greenhouse gases, energy and save on transportation, in comparison to producing their toys overseas. The company also provides local jobs in their California based business and promotes recycling education in schools.
Where Can You Buy Green Toys?
You can buy these toys directly from Green Toys, at a variety of retailers, including Amazon, TJ Maxx, and Marshall's, or use their store locator.
Do Green Toys Come in Eco-friendly Packaging?
Green Toys practices green standards all the way down to their packaging- their toys are sold in 100% recyclable cardboard and they don't use additives like blister packs, annoying twist ties, or cellophane wrappers. Labels on the outside of the boxes are printed with minimal color using soy inks.
Price | $10- $30
Eco-friendly Materials | rubberwood called Planwood™
Best For | Montessori style toys
When you think of Plan Toys, think Montessori toys meet a watercolor palette. I hope that sounds as amazing as it actually is! This company makes a large variety of toys for everyday play, including fine motor, and water play toys. With over 500 items listed on the website, Plan Toys is fitting for babies and toddlers up until about 4 years old.
How Are Plan Toys Made?
PlanWood is created by grinding sawdust and wood chips leftover from production and using a thermal process to form them into shapes.
Plan Toys uses non-toxic, chemical free, water-based paint to create their toys. They also use E-Zero glue in production because it doesn't contain formaldehyde (a toxic ingredient commonly used in wood adhesives).
✨ Top Plan Toys Recommendations
Some of Plan Toys' best sellers are toys that focus on gross motor development (like pull-along animals) and dramatic play- checkout this set of realistic play food, or this original doctor kit.
I gifted the Hopping Rabbit to a busy 1 year old and it was a hit (tip: the parents decided to make a small loop in the string for easier grasping and it was genius). The rabbit's tail goes up and down as the child pulls it along the leash.
This gorgeous pastel mobile would make for a great piece of decor for any nursery or kid's room.
Does Plan Toys Participate in Other Sustainability Initiatives?
Plan Toys is involved in a number of community development projects, including the construction of toy libraries, a toy museum, and a playground in rural Thailand, where the company is based.
Plan Toys also implemented a number of energy conservation measures within its factories, including the use of solar panels and energy-efficient lighting. The organization is taking many steps towards meeting their goal of being carbon neutral by 2025. This company is very transparent about its' sustainability practices and even has a full sustainability report for customers to view. Honestly, I wish all eco-conscious toy companies would share similar annual reports!
Finally, Plan Toys has recently partnered with Toycycle to introduce the world's largest sustainable second-hand toy marketplace. This partnership helps parents with the problem of toy storage, while refreshing kids' toy shelves with quality toys.
Where Can You Buy Plan Toys?
Plan Toys can be purchased directly from the company's site, where you'll find the largest variety of their toys. You can also find the brand on Amazon and every now and again, you might find a few Plan Toys in the toy aisle of TJ Maxx or Marshall's.
Do Plan Toys Come in Eco-friendly Packaging?
For a while, Plan Toys boxes were produced with 4-color offset printing. They've since transitioned to a plain brown box made from recycled fiber that includes a printed label.
Price | $20- $120
Eco-friendly Materials | Central American
hardwood
Best For | Junior Engineers
Know a kid that's really into building
with blocks? Tegu is a great place to find a gift for junior engineers. Their blocks help develop toddler's fine motor skills, pattern recognition, and balance.
How Are Tegu Toys Made?
Tegu blocks are made from authentic wood and sustainably harvested Central American hardwoods in the Honduras. Sustainably harvested wood simply means they never cut down healthy trees just to make blocks. Safe, non-toxic, water-based finishes are used for the colors and clear coating of the blocks.
Does Tegu Participate in Other Sustainability Initiatives?
Aside from sustainably sourcing wood, Tegu intentionally designs their toys to be high quality and durable. In fact, the company strives for the blocks to be heirloom toys that provide fun for generations of your family.
Within the company itself, one of Tegu's missions is to foster a positive social impact on their community in Honduras. The founders also reside there and oversee production of the toys in their factory where they employ 200 local community members.
✨ Top Tegu Recommendations
A set of these wooden blocks would make a perfect gift for kids that have mastered Magna-Tiles. With Magna-Tiles, kids can see the magnets around the perimeter of each piece. But, with Tegu blocks, the magnets are placed on certain spots inside of the blocks. The placement of the magnets vary depending on the shape.
With that said, I've noticed that most 2 year olds just haven't developed the patience yet to pinpoint and memorize where the magnets are in each shape. However, I've seen 3 ½ year-olds play with these for hours!
In case your kid hasn't reached toddler age just yet, Tegu also makes wooden toy cars that are fitting for babies as early as 18 months! The cars come with only 3 pieces- the base of the car/wheels, a triangular piece that goes on top of the base, and a wooden driver figure. This simple design engages young toddlers and they are able to explore and repair the toy independently.
Where Can You Buy Tegu Toys?
You can buy sets of these magnetic wooden blocks from Tegu, on Amazon, or possibly at a toy retailer near you.
Do Tegu Toys Come in Eco-friendly Packaging?
All Tegu toys are shipped in fully recyclable cardboard boxes.
Eeboo
Price | $8-22
Eco-friendly Materials | FSC certified paper, vegetable based inks
Best For | Games & Puzzles
Eeboo is a unique woman owned boutique most known for its puzzles, games, and paper based toys such as stationary sets. What really makes Eeboo a dynamic brand is the fact that they partner with independent artists/illustrators to design the pictures and characters on all their products— which naturally catch your eye.
How Are Eeboo Toys Made?
Eeboo uses Forest Stewardship Council° (FSC) certified paper to make all their toys. This certification confirms that the paper they use comes from forests that are responsibly managed. Through using FSC paper, the company’s goal is to “preserve biological diversity and benefit the lives of workers and local communities while sustaining their economic viability”.
But Eeboo does go beyond using FSC paper, they also print with vegetable-based, non-toxic inks. The inks are made from easy-to-grow resources and are safer and more sustainable than conventional petroleum-based inks, yet the colors are still vivid!
Does Eeboo Participate in Other Sustainability Initiatives?
Recently, Eeboo became a certified carbon-neutral company. As a carbon-neutral company, this means for all the offsets and emissions the company produces, they basically make up for it through reforestation projects (like planting a tree).
EeBoo is certified through ClimatePartner, an organization that calculates businesses' greenhouse gas emissions, provides advice on how to reduce them, and offsets unavoidable emissions through carbon offset projects.
✨ Top Eeboo Recommendations
I Never Forget a Face: Memory & Matching Game
I’ve never seen such a beautifully illustrated multicultural memory game. Children from 24 different countries are depicted in traditional clothing, accessories, hair styles, etc.
There are 24 matching pairs (48 cards total), which makes the difficulty level a bit high for younger toddlers but challenges big kids
When playing with kids ages 2-4, simply remove 8-10 pairs to make the game less overwhelming for littles
When playing with various groups of kids, they all want to know “what country is this kid from?!” Either have the box close by to quickly identify their respective countries or have a picture of the list saved on your phone
Story Cards: Fairy Tale Mix Ups Create a Story Cards (pictured above)
Story Cards are basically imagination prompts that get the creative juices flowing. A kid says “I’m bored” or “I don’t know what to draw,” then I bring out the story cards.
Great for independent play
Beautiful illustrations
Where Can You Buy Eeboo Toys?
You can buy Eeboo toys directly from their website or on Amazon. I’ve also seen their toys in-store at Barnes & Nobles.
Do Eeboo Toys Come in Eco-friendly Packaging?
About 90% of the materials used for packaging Eeboo toys come from recycled post-consumer paper materials. In 2022, Eeboo switched to using puzzle piece bags made with plant-based, biodegradable, compostable, and non-toxic materials.
Big Future Toys
Price | $59- $175
Eco-friendly Materials | birch plywood
Best For | Eco-friendly Magna-tiles
Big Future Toys creates high-quality wooden toys that encourage kids to use their imagination. The founders of the minority-owned company designs their toys to be extra durable and open-ended. Such intentionality increases the life cycle, as well as the time kids spend playing with their products. While Big Future Toys’ line of toys has varied, they’re most well known for their Earthtiles.
How Are Big Future Toys Made?
To make Earthtiles, Big Future Toys uses sustainably sourced baltic birch plywood. The magnetic tiles are then finished with a non-toxic, water-based lacquer. All wood is sustainably sourced from FSC-certified forests and the toys are made in Indonesia.
Does Big Future Toys Participate in Other Sustainability Initiatives?
With every toy purchase, Big Future Toys plants a tree through a partnership with Plant with Purpose. To date, they’ve been able to plant over 8,000 trees!
The owners are big on circularity and encourage parents to pass down or donate toys that kids have outgrown. Even though Big Future Toys is a smaller toy retailer, they’re committed to circularity so much that if you have a hard time finding a new home for their toys, you can email customer support for a return label and they’ll get them in the hands of a grateful kid.
✨ Top Big Future Toys Recommendations
Currently, Earthtiles are the only non-plastic substitution for Magna-tiles (Tegu blocks are an alternative to Magna-tiles). While being made of wood prevents Earthtiles from being transparent, the window cutouts within each tile allows kids to carefully construct their build. The pastel set of blocks can add a muted, yet natural color scheme to any play space.
Where Can You Buy Big Future Toys?
You can buy Big Future Toys directly from their website, Amazon, and on Shopify (where you can buy a drawstring bag for storing Earthtiles). You can also find their toys at popular e-commerce sites, including Pottery Barn Kids, Rose & Rex, The Tot, and Babipur.
Do Big Future Toys Come in Eco-friendly Packaging?
Earthtiles come in a fully recyclable cardboard box and the prints on the box are made using natural ink.
Price | $36-89
Eco-friendly Materials | eco rubber (hevea tree sap)
Best For | natural, biodegradable baby dolls
Tiny Cottons has been around as a fashionable Barcelona based clothing brand since 2012. In 2020, the company expanded to kid’s toys and viola, the Gommu collection was introduced. The creators of the toy line were inspired by the simplicity of Japanese culture and decided to name the collection Gommu— which means rubber in Japanese. While their adorable baby dolls are the most popular toys, they also sell miniature dogs, bears, baby ring teethers, and gummu doll accessories.
How Are Gommu Toys Made?
Gommu toys are uniquely handmade (rare in the toy industry) from the white sap of hevea trees, also known as eco-rubber . Tiny Cottons claims that the dolls are actually 100% biodegradable, making Gommu toys the first line of biodegradable toys in the industry. Each toy is hand-painted with organic, food-grade paint and they're also free from PVC and BPA.
All toys from Tiny Cottons are designed to be smooth to the touch and totally safe for the mouthing stage. Plus, they're water play friendly! In fact, each toy is hermetically sealed to prevent the build up of mold or bacteria inside.
Does Tiny Cottons Participate in Other Sustainability Initiatives?
As an overall brand, Tiny Cottons doesn't appear to be taking any other sustainability initiatives. They do use some eco-friendly materials, including recycled materials, organic cotton, and natural cotton to manufacture select pieces of their clothing.
However, the pure fact that Tiny Cottons makes their toys from biodegradable materials demonstrates that they value sustainability and give a great deal of consideration to the life cycle of their toys. I mean, how long do you think it would take a plastic doll to degrade in a landfill?? It's also worth noting that all Gommu doll clothing- Gommu Looks as they call the clothing collection- is made of 100% organic cotton.
✨ Top Gommu Recommendations
For babies, a Gommu Ring Bear or a Gommu Bear would make a simple gift that's easier for tiny hands to grasp.
For toddlers into dramatic play and caretaking, I recommend a Big Gommu- these dolls fit the Gommu Looks that you can buy as an add on!
For toddlers into pretend play, I'd recommend a Pocket Gommu— there's a line of miniature furniture, such as cribs and baby bouncers, that kids can use to create a storyline around! (Note: the furniture toys vary in materials, while tested for safety, they are not biodegradable)
Where Can You Buy Gommu Toys?
You can buy Gommu toys directly from their website or at one of their storefronts in Barcelona. Not to worry if you don't live in Spain— Tiny Cottons ships worldwide! Shipping to the USA is about $16 and free if you spend over $199.
Do Gommu Toys Come in Eco-friendly Packaging?
According to their site, all Gommu toys come in recycled packaging, but more details to come!
FAQ
What Makes a Toy Sustainable?
The definition of sustainability has developed over the past ten years and has become a bit nuanced. For simplicity, we're going to focus on two things that make toys sustainable- the manufacturing and circularity. When it comes to manufacturing, the EPA defines sustainable manufacturing as, "processes that minimize negative environmental impacts while conserving energy and natural resources." In the toy industry, sustainable toys are created using natural materials that typically go unused. An example of this would be a toy company that uses un-utilized sticks to make wooden toys. You can think of sustainable toys as nature's leftovers repurposed into toys! Circularity refers to the life cycle of toys. Generally speaking, toys that are produced using sustainable materials are higher quality than cheap plastic toys. Sustainable toys tend to be designed for circularity, meaning the toy companies encourage you to re-share their toys as hand-me-downs. Sustainable toys can include eco-friendly toys. However, if a toy is made using eco-friendly products but it required loads of energy to manufacture and ship to you, and the company doesn't offer proper information on the disposal of the toy- it's not really considered sustainable. It's rare to find many to companies that offer many resources for the end-of-life of their toys. But, consumer demand has began to change this a bit! We're finally starting to see more toy companies (including VTech/Leapfrog, Hasbro, and Spin Master) partner with companies like Terracycle that offer free ways to recycle their toys.
Why Do You Link to Amazon if They're an Eco-friendly Company?
I'd love your help expanding on this list! Comment below or send me a message sharing your favorite eco-friendly toys for kids!
Stay Conscious + Curious,
Sincerely,
Briesh
Thanks for sharing those ideas! I have few ideas for present for my niece. thanks x
Thank you for sharing this wonderful list of eco friendly toy brands! It is really good for kids to be playing with these for so many reasons. It is also great your are linking directly to the manufacturers on these, so people will know where to find them easily. These look perfect for little ones at the holidays. Great recommendations.
Love the list, just having new grandchildren you’ve made it easy to buy them environmentally friendly present…