It's playtime
Collectively each year, parents in the UK are spending around £8bn a year on toys and games for their children. Ruth Rosselson asks what the other costs are.
By the age of sixteen, it's estimated that a child
in the UK will have owned £11,000 worth of toys.(1)
Film and TV merchandise
take a lot of our cash, meaning that toys are going in and out of fashion
quicker than ever before. These tie-ins help to to create a consume and
throwaway mentality from an early age. As a result of such attitudes we're
now discarding over 44 million working toys in the UK each year.(2) In addition,
a large majority of today's toys have a batter-powered element placing a
further burden on the environment.
The majority are made
in the far east - mainly China. There has, however, been some progress made
by the industry in terms of addressing workers' rights. As ever, though,
there is still much more to be done.
There seems to be a greater
availability of ethical and environmental alternatives, partly as a result
of the popularity of shopping over the internet. We have included just a
few of these ethical brands on this table. As ever, there are more smaller
companies providing ethical alternatives than we have the resources and
space to cover. Whether or not parents can persuade their children to resist
the messages to consume and own the most popular toys is a different matter.
Human rights issues
The majority of toys produced outside of Europe are now manufactured
in China where working conditions leave a lot to be desired.
In addition,
the seasonality of toy products affects job stability, resulting in irregular
and fragmented work, unstable employment and a lack of long term benefits.(3)
Furthermore, peak production seasons are associated with excessive working
hours that are damaging to the health and safety of workers.(3)
There has been some progress in terms of the conditions
of a number of factories in China, according to Jonas Astrup of the International
Council of Toy Industries (ICTI).(4) "I'm not saying that you couldn't find
a bad factory" he concedes "but i would be very surprised if you could find
anything on the scale that you would have found two or three years ago".
Campaigners, however, tell a different story. In September 2005, a report
detailing conditions in eleven randomly chosen factories in China producing
toys for companies including Mattel and Hasbro found that that despite the
adoption of company codes of conduct, the abuse of toy workers' rights were
still occuring.(5) Violations found included work schedules of more than
eighty hours per week, pay rates as low as 59% of the local minimum wage
and overcrowded dormitaries.
Of the eleven sites looked at, only one was
abiding by Chinese laws on work time and pay regulations.(5) A 2004 report
published by the Swedish Fair Trade Centre found similar violations, with
14 hour days, seven days a week not uncommon during peak seasons.(6)
Astrup asserts that such reports are out of date. "I guarantee you that
things have changed since then and this report doesn't reflect reality now".
Kristina Bjurling of Swedwatch, co-authors of the 2004 report, agrees that
"of course hopefully some things have improved since then, but these working
conditions won't change so quickly". She said 2005 research had found little
change in factory conditions and that a journalist in China earlier this
year found similar problems including excessive overtime, health and safety
hazards and no overtime compensation.(7)
She claims that one of the reasons
that such problems are persisting is that retailers and manufacturers still
refuse to pay for the costs of their ethical demands. Demand for shorter
delivery times and low prices, makes meeting demands for good working conditions
difficult, if not impossible, to achieve, she argues.
Codes of Conduct and the ICTI
Most of the companies in our report are members of the British Toy &
Hobby Association (BTHA), which is itself a member of the International
Council of Toy Industries. All BTHA members must sign up to the ICTI Code
of Conduct for workers at supplier factories.
In addition, many BTHA members
have also signed up to the ICTI "Date Certain Database" which
means that they will ONLY source from factories that have been independently
audited by an ICTI approved auditor from a fixed date. Most companies in
this report have specified a date of 1st January 2006.
The ICTI code was set up in 2001 and failed our own criteria on three main
areas:
- Firstly, the maximum working week (including overtime) was 66 hours.
ECRA considers, using ETI guidelines, a reasonable working week to be
48 hours plus 12 hours voluntary overtime. In addition, there are occasions
- such as high seasons - where workers may be permitted to work as much
as 72 hours per week within the ICTI code.(8)
- ECRA's minimum standards for a high scoring code sets the minimum working
age of 15, and the ICTI code allows a minimum age of 14 in certain circumstances.
- Finally, the ICTI Code, like many of the company's own codes, fails
in terms of commitments to paying what campaigners describe as a 'living
wage'. Labour Behind the Label argues that statements such as agreeing
to pay wages based on "national legal standards or industry benchmark
standards" are inadequate given that, in countries like China, neither
national legal standards, nor industry benchmark standards "come
close to meeting basic needs".(9) Reports into the garment industry
have consistently concluded that legal minimum wages are "insufficient,
even to cover the needs of a single worker".(10) It's unlikely that
the situation for workers in the toy industry is much different. Campaigners
almost universally agree that the key to improving conditions for workers
is for them to be able to bargain collectively through trade unions. Labour
Behind the Label says that unions "offer the most effective and legitimate
way to ensure that workers get a fair wage by allowing them to stand together
to negotiate it with their management".(9) Although most codes of
conduct, including the ICTI code do allow for freedom of assocation, few
go into detail about how they would facilitate this. In addition, free
independent trade unions are still illegal in China.
Audits at the ICTI
Another fundamental problem with company codes of conduct and the ICTI process
is the difficulty of ensuring that codes are enforced.
Kristina Bjurling
at Swedwatch argues that it is a very "conservative system" based
on "classical check box compliance" which, to date, has not brought
much change for workers.(11) Although audits may be carried out, NGO investigations
into factories are increasingly finding out that factories and suppliers
are 'cheating' the auditors. "The sophistication of monitoring efforts
is often matched by the sophistication of falsifying documents.... Thus
even where companies that seek to implement stronger CSR initiatives have
invited auditors to their factories, violations may go underdocumented and
remain unaddressed".
(3) Tactics include keeping two sets of records
and coaching and intimidating workers to say the 'right' thing in any interviews.
Campaigners argue that workers' participation in the process is essential.
Bjurling argues that the ICTI needs to help educate workers in their labour
rights and to involve them more in the process of auditing. It's also worth
noting that so far, only a small percentage of Chinese factories have been
audited and approved by the ICTI. Out of around 10,000 toy factories, only
450 are currently on the ICTI databse, although another 400 are currently
in the process. One of the other obstacles is the fact that supplier factories
themselves have to pay for certification. Smaller factories, therefore might
find costs prohibitive.
Our ratings
The only companies receiving a top rating for 'supply chain policy"
are those either sourcing exclusively from EU countries or those promoting
fair trade policies. We have rewarded companies signed up to the ICTI Date
certain database with a half rating.
Although Golden Bear is a signatory
of the ICTI code, it has not signed up to the "date certain database"
and so receives a worst rating. We would also like to see greater transparency
by the companies themselves rather than relying on their industry membership
to reassure consumers that they're doing their bit to improve conditions.
So far, the most progress in the area of transparency has been made by Mattel,
which was the only company we could find publically making available the
audits on its Asian factories. However its own code also failed our criteria
in a number of areas.
Despite the fact that no mainstream company receives our top rating, it
is still important to acknowledge the positive steps that the industry has
been making. Such improvements, Jonas Astrup argues, is not just down to
the brands but also pressure from retailers, NGOs and from consumers themselves.
So while it may not be possible to avoid toys made in China altogether,
it is still important to let companies know that you consider workers' rights
in their supplier factories an important area for them to improve on.
Environmental issues
Plastics
There are a number of environmental areas to consider when looking at toys.
Firstly, we need to consider the type of materials used in their manufacture.
While plastics may be durable, they are of concern to environmental campaigners
for a number of reasons. They are costly in environmental terms, because
they use non-renewable resources in their manufacture. PVC is particularly
problematic because its production creates and releases toxic chemicals
known as dioxins.(12) Plastics also pose problems in their disposal as incineration
(again, especially of PVC) releases more noxious chemicals and further contaminates
the environment. Plastics and PVC are also difficult to recycle, meaning
that much of it ends up in landfills, and here, chemicals can leach out
into the soil over time.
The chemicals that many plastics contain are also of concern during the
product's lifetime. A Greenpeace survey in 2005 found some toys contained
high levels of harmful phthalates and other 'underdesirable chemicals' such
as organotins and nonylphenol.(13) Testing has shown that children can ingest
hazardous chemicals from PVC toys if they put them in their mouths.(12)
Of most concern are a group of chemicals known as phthalates which are often
used to make PVC soft. Some of these have been linked to hormone disruption
in animals and humans and are known to persist in our bodies and in the
environment.(12) Other potential health problems include kidney and liver
damage, reproductive problems and asthma.(12)
After a great deal of debate, a number of phthalates will be banned from
January 2007 in the EU in any toys and childcare products in concentrations
of more than 0.1% while another three phthalates should not be used in similar
concentrations in toys which "can be placed in the mouth by children".
Martin Hojsik from Greenpeace Europe criticises these guidelines as "irresponsible"
because "children try to put almost everything into their mouths".(14)
He argues that the precautionary principle should be used, banning these
three phthalates altogether in all toys. He also points out that the current
ban does not ban PVC use altogether, allowing producers to replace banned
phthalates with non-banned ones. Producers should instead, he argues, be
committed to phasing PVC out altogether.(14) Nadia Haiama-Neurohr of Greenpeace's
European Unit warns parents that if they want to be sure to protect their
children, they should avoid all products made from PVC or vinyl.(13)
All
of the companies on the table producing toys incorporating plastics receive
a pollution and toxics mark except for those with a no PVC policy. Playmobil(15)
and Lego(15) both have such a policy, as do some of the smaller ethical
alternatives. Early Learning Centre is looking at reducing a number of hazardous
chemicals in its products.(16) Bandai(17) and Chicco(18) are also looking
at reducing PVC use.
Wood
Although wood may be preferable because it is a natural material, it's important
that it comes from sustainable sources. There are a number of companies
in our report using wood from FSC-certified sources or from sustainably
managed forests. These products receive 'positive product ratings' on our
tables and an additional ethiscore point. There are also a number of companies
producing toys made from Rubberwood and we have positively rated these products
too. The rubber tree produces latex, but after around 25 years yields drop
dramatically.(19) Planters fell these trees and plant new ones, and this
wood can then be used. Although some wooden toys may be painted with harmful
substances and lacquers, the wooden toy companies we've looked at all claim
to be using non-toxic and water-based dyes and paints and natural finishes,
such as linseed.
Environmentally friendly fabrics
There are different environmental considerations when looking at soft toys
and fabric toys. Although there aren't a wealth of organic cotton products
available, the WWF plush toys are OKOtex certified which means that harmful
chemicals have not been used in their manufacture.
Technology
It's becoming increasingly rare to find toys which don't incorporate some
kind of technological element which requires batteries. What this means
in terms of environmental impact is that there is an increase in energy
consumption in manufacture and in use. The use of technology may also shorten
the product's life as inevitable breakdowns occur, and the cost of repair
may be higher than the cost of replacing the toy. Additionally, some toys
make it virtually impossible to replace batteries, such as some cuddly toys
which speak. Toys incorporating technology also have higher environmental
impacts because batteries are difficult to dispose of safely.
Disposable toys
Children will naturally grow out of a number of their toys as they mature
in age. However, today's culture encourages a much more disposable attitude
to our purchases. This replace, upgrade and disposal culture starts young
as toys are subject to the same fashion and fads as most other consumer
goods. According to research from Envirowise, children receive more toys
each year than ever before.(2)
Over three-quarters of under twelves receive
more than ten toys per year, equating to around 65 million toys every year
in total, yet research also shows that 67% of those toys are discarded while
still in working order, and many of these are just thrown in the bin, creating
a huge landfill burden.(2) Dr Martin Gibson, Envirowise Director says that
while it's encouraging that many people do try to reuse toys, "13 million
relatively new toys going into the bin every year is a huge problem".(2)
He urges parents to view "repair and share" as the responsible
way of dealing with toys that are broken or outgrown.(2) Encouraging your
children to adopt a reuse, recycle and repair attitude with their toys may
also help install such important values early in life.
TV, film and cartoon tie-ins
The majority of toys on the shelves of our toy shops are characters inspired
by tv shows or films. Some products are licensed before they are introduced
which means that a film character is made into a toy, a video game, a board
game, and a clothing line almost simultaneously with a film's release, making
what was previously seen as entertainment, an extended advertisement for
merchandising.
The licensing of such characters is an extremely lucrative business and
also a complicated one. A Disney toy is not necessarily itself manufactured
by Disney. For this reason, we have only parented Disney to the soft toys
found in the company's own shops. If unsure, who is behind a toy, check
the label. As well as turning our children into mini-consumers, these character
products are also highly vulnerable to fashion changes and to ending up
in the dustbin as the next film or tv character becomes popular.
Sixty Second Green Guide
- Investigate your local toy library. See Links for details.
- Avoid toys made from plastic
- Encourage imaginative and creative play - dressing up, role and creative
play doesn't always require specific toys
- Choose wooden toys with non-toxic, water-based paints and natural finishes
such as linseed.
- If buying wooden toys, check that they're from FSC certified sources or
an equivalent guarantor of managed forests
- Avoid toys using excess packaging
- Construction toys made from metal are a good choice and also beneficial
to your child's development
- Encourage your children to adopt repair, reuse and recycle principles
- Buy toys manufactured in Europe or under Fairtrade Principles
- Donate old toys to toy libraries, charities, playschemes or hospitals rather
than throwing them away.
- Buy second-hand toys from charity shops and jumble sales
- Avoid 'unnecessary' technology wherever you can
Links
National Assocation of Toy & Leisure Libraries
www.natll.org.uk/
68 Churchway, London, NW1 1LT Tel: 020 7255 4600 to find one local to you.
Download the 2005 China Labor Watch report on toy factories from
http://www.chinalaborwatch.org/en/web/article.php?article_id=50285
Find out more about toy recycling initiatives at: www.toys-to-you.co.uk/acatalog/ToyRecycling.html
Greenpeace chemicals campaign www.greenpeace.org.uk/
WWF's chemicals campaign is at : http://detox.panda.org/
References
1 Guardian 10/6/05 Survey by Egg
2 Envirowise press release,
May 2005. www.envirowise.gov.uk
3 The Other Toy Story: Workers' rights
in China. China Rights Forum, No 4 2004 available from www.hrichina.org/public/index
4 Conversation with Jonas Astrup, September 2006
5 The Toy
Industry in China: Undermining Workers' Rights and Rule of Law, September
2005. China Labor Watch http://www.chinalaborwatch.org/en/web/article.php?article_id=50285
6 Easy to Manage, A report on Chinese Toy workers and the responsibility
of the companies, 2004, Swedwatch
7 Email from Kristina Bjurling,
14/9/06
8 ICTI Code of conduct and appendixes, found at www.toy-icti.org
9 Labour Behind the Label, Let's Clean Up Fashion report, September
2006 www.labourbehindthelabel.org/
10 Wearing Thin: The State of
Pay in the Fashion Industry, Labour Behind the Label, 2000
11 Email
from Kirstina Bjurling 5/9/05
12 Greenpeace info on PVC www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/toxics/polyvinyl-chloride/
13 Greenpeace Toxic Toy Story Greenpeace wins battle to ban toxic
chemicals in plastic toys 05-07-2005 www.greenpeace.org
14 Email
from Martin Hojsik Greenpeace, 13/9/06
15 Greenpeace chemical home
www.greenpeace.org.uk/Products/Toxics/briefing.cfm accessed 9/06
16
Early Learning Centre Safer Chemicals Report 2006/7
17 Bandai website,
www.bandai.com Sept 06
18 Greenpeace business February 2005
19
http://www.plantoys.com/naturalmat.asp,
www.wonderworldtoy.com http://www.pintoys.com/ all Sept 06