10 Principles of Fair Trade

As far as possible, I try to stock toys and games that don’t harm others or the environment in their making. There are a couple of particular brands that are really good at declaring how they do this – Pebble and Me and Mine.

I thought I’d pass on some of the principles they stand for from their manifestos.

Here are the 10 principles of Fair Trade that Pebble (aka Pebblechild) put into practice in the manufacture of their crocheted baby toys.

Pebblechild make hand crocheted baby rattles and toys. They are made by women in Bangladesh who are paid a fair salary for their work. If they weren’t employed by Pebblechild, they would most likely have to move to the bigger cities for employment and leave their children in the care of a relative. By purchasing a Pebble baby toy you are supporting another mum and her family.

Me&Mine is a toy company whose aim is to be respectful and responsible with the world. The actions they take in the manufacturing of their toys in order to do this are:

• all the wood and paper they use is FSC certified, which guarantees sustainable harvesting.
• all their packaging is made with recycled and recyclable material.
• all their production is carried out in the province of Barcelona. Producing locally allows them to minimise the carbon footprint and to encourage a fairer distribution of the economy.
• all their toys comply with the regulations specified by the EU on toy safety, both with regard to chemical, mechanical and physical parts.
• they allocate part of their profits to solidarity causes.
• they trust and collaborate with companies in the social sector who integrate people with mental and physical special needs.
• their toys have no gender – they are just play toys.
• their products do not require batteries or any other type of electronic mechanism. They stimulate spontanious, open-air social play.
• they have eliminated the use of plastic from their packaging.
• some of their producers are companies that give continuity to centuries-old professions and native crafts.

I currently stock their play ground skipping ropes, catapults and spinning tops.

If you’d like to read more about the environmental policies of some of the other toy companies I work with, you might like to read this blog

And, as more toy companies sign up to practices that make the world a better place, I will blog about them as I think it’s worth knowing and choosing.

Thanks,

Suzie