When we think about environmental impacts, we often imagine factories spewing smoke, oceans filled with plastic straws, or massive trucks belching out exhaust on highways. But there’s one industry that doesn’t get nearly as much attention as it should: toys. Yep, those brightly colored action figures, dolls, and building blocks that fill holiday stockings and fast food drive-thru bags. Toys might seem small and harmless, but their environmental footprint is anything but.

The Toy Production Pipeline: Where It All Starts

Toys, just like any other consumer product, have to be made somewhere. The majority of toys are made from plastic, and not just any plastic—most are made from petroleum-based plastics that require a lot of energy to produce. Then there’s the injection molding process, which shapes these plastics into the fun toys we know. Add on the paint (often containing harmful chemicals), assembly, and transportation, and we’ve got a huge carbon footprint before the toy even leaves the factory.

The holiday season, of course, ramps up production significantly. In the lead-up to Christmas, toy production can increase by as much as 40%, meaning that more raw materials are consumed, more energy is used, and more pollution is created. Factories often operate 24/7 during this time, pushing out millions of new toys, many of which are shipped across the world to meet consumer demand.

The Packaging Problem: All That Wrapping

Let’s not forget the packaging. It’s astounding how much plastic and cardboard go into packaging toys, especially the ones aimed at younger kids. We’ve all experienced it—opening a toy only to be faced with a fortress of twist ties, plastic shells, and Styrofoam. In fact, a study by the non-profit Two Sides found that 90% of the environmental impact of toys can come from their packaging.

Why so much packaging? It’s about marketing. Toys are often sold in eye-catching, oversized packages to grab attention on store shelves. But once that toy is unwrapped, the packaging immediately heads to the landfill—or if you’re lucky, the recycling bin. Unfortunately, most toy packaging isn’t recyclable because it combines multiple materials (like plastic and cardboard) or uses plastic that recycling centers can’t process. That flashy box is fun for 30 seconds, but it’ll sit in a landfill for centuries.

Toys, Toys Everywhere… and Then the Landfill

So what happens when the shine wears off? Kids lose interest in toys fast. In fact, studies show that children in wealthier countries tend to lose interest in new toys within 36 days. That means that a lot of these toys are destined for the garbage not long after being opened.

And it’s not just about individual toys. Think about the promotional toys from fast food meals. Those cheap, throwaway items from Happy Meals or the dollar store are often the first things to break or be forgotten. In 2019, McDonald’s UK alone handed out 1.2 billion plastic Happy Meal toys. Yes, billion. Many of these toys are made of low-quality plastics that aren’t recyclable and are destined to become yet another piece of non-biodegradable waste.

The environmental cost doesn’t stop there. When these toys break or get tossed, they’re sent to landfills. While it’s tough to pin down exact numbers, millions of tons of toys are thrown away each year. These toys don’t decompose. They just sit there, releasing toxic chemicals into the soil and water over time.

The Economic Impact on Families

Beyond the environmental impact, there’s an economic cost. Parents in the U.S. spend an average of $294 per child on toys each year. That’s a lot of money, especially when considering how many of those toys don’t last. The cheap plastic items from dollar stores or fast food meals, while affordable in the short term, often end up in the trash quickly, meaning families are stuck in a cycle of buying more and more toys that don’t last. This cycle creates unnecessary waste and financial strain.

And there’s a larger issue here: when toys break or get discarded, it feeds into a culture of disposability. Kids are learning early on that it’s okay to throw things away when they break, rather than finding ways to fix or repurpose them. This mindset contributes to the throwaway culture that’s part of the larger environmental crisis.

What Can We Do About It?

It’s not all doom and gloom—there are steps both consumers and manufacturers can take to reduce the environmental impact of toys.

1. Buy Less, Buy Smarter: Instead of buying dozens of cheap toys, focus on buying fewer, high-quality items that are made to last. Look for toys made from sustainable materials like wood or recycled plastics.
2. Support Companies That Use Eco-Friendly Practices: Some toy companies are moving toward using recyclable packaging or offering toys made from sustainable materials. LEGO, for example, has committed to making its bricks out of bio-plastics by 2030.
3. Skip the Excessive Packaging: When possible, choose toys that come with minimal packaging. Some companies are now offering “packaging-free” options, which is a great way to cut down on waste.
4. Think Secondhand: Shopping at thrift stores or secondhand markets for toys is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. It keeps toys out of landfills and gives them a second life.
5. Donate Instead of Dumping: Before tossing old toys in the trash, consider donating them to local shelters, charities, or toy libraries. Many organizations will accept gently used toys, giving them another chance to be played with.

The Bottom Line

Toys may seem innocent, but their environmental impact is huge, from production to packaging to disposal. As consumers, we have the power to make smarter choices about the toys we buy, and to push for companies to adopt more sustainable practices. Next time you’re buying a toy, think about where it came from and where it’s headed once your child outgrows it. Small changes in how we think about toys can have a big impact on the planet.

And hey, maybe we can finally start talking about toys as part of the environmental conversation. After all, they’re a bigger piece of the puzzle than we might think.