Plastic is often treated as a shortcut for explaining whether a toy is good or bad. Wooden is assumed to be better. Plastic is assumed to be worse. In reality, it’s rarely that simple.
Many of the toys families use and keep for years are made from plastic. Magnetic tiles are one example. Building systems like lego are another. These toys are durable, used across many ages, and often stay in circulation for a long time, passed between siblings, shared within families, or resold once a child moves on.
That context matters because it shows that material alone doesn’t determine sustainability.
The issue isn’t plastic itself. It’s how plastic is used.
A large number of plastic toys are designed around speed. Fast production, fast trends, fast replacement. They’re difficult to repair, degrade quickly, and are often built to be outgrown or discarded once the novelty wears off. That cycle is where the environmental cost really sits.
When plastic is used thoughtfully, with strong construction, safe sealing, and an expectation of long-term use, it behaves very differently. Toys designed this way are more likely to support years of play, adapt as children grow, and remain useful beyond one short phase.
This is why sustainability can’t be reduced to a material checklist. A well-made plastic toy that stays in use for a decade will almost always have a smaller footprint than a poorly made alternative that breaks or is quickly abandoned, regardless of what it’s made from.
At Sāaru, material choice is always weighed alongside longevity, safety, and real use. Some plastic toys earn their place because they last, adapt, and continue to make sense as children grow. Many don’t, because they rely on novelty or compromise on quality.
Sustainability isn’t about ruling materials in or out. It’s about whether a toy is designed to stay in use, be passed on or sold, and avoid unnecessary replacement.
