The last time review organization Swedwatch reviewed the toy industry was in 2009, but when Linda Scott Jakobsson goes through other reports and what has been written in recent years, it doesn’t look like much has happened.
— From what I can see, the same problem still comes back in new reports as well.
The problems often relate to low wages and long working hours.
— It has been put into the system that workers must work overtime and that it is mandatory. You don’t have the opportunity to say no, because then you could lose your job.
A very large part, 75–80 percent, of all toys are manufactured in China. There, Linda Scott Jakobsson points out that there is a fundamental problem.
– You cannot organize yourself in free trade unions as it is forbidden. This makes it difficult for workers in China to negotiate their rights and improve their working situation and ensure that wages are raised.
She also highlights the problem of forced labour. It is known that the minority group Uyghurs are forced to work in, among other things, textile production, especially in the province of Xinjiang, where a lot of cotton is grown.
— Since textiles are present to a large extent in toys, there is a risk of forced labor there, in textile production but also in cotton production.
The fact that China has become an even more repressive state since the 2009 report makes it difficult to report on the problems that exist there.
Must have markings
Toys sold within the EU must have a CE mark, which means that the manufacturer of the product meets health, environmental and safety requirements. It provides protection for the end consumer to receive a safe product, but does not protect the people who make it.
— You are exposed to different types of chemicals during production. If you think about what toys really are, it’s plastic, a lot of fabric, textile, stuffing, synthetics.
Those who work with manufacturing also lack training or information about what kind of chemicals they handle and do not always have access to protective equipment.
— It is a general problem that exists in many parts of the world in many different industries. An example is the electronics industry and electronics are also found in toys.
If you go down to the component level, there are, for example, very dangerous chemicals in semiconductors. Swedwatch has previously drawn attention to manufacturing in the Philippines.
— Workers, especially women, who work a lot in this industry, are exposed to these chemicals and testified about miscarriages, different types of cancer, that it smells very strong, that they get dizzy and get rashes on their hands.
What’s in the packages? Dangerous and prohibited substances? Stock image. Hazardous substances
Although hazardous chemicals may be used in manufacturing, they rarely remain in the final product. But the Chemicals Inspectorate nevertheless finds dangerous and prohibited substances when they check toys.
“Often it’s about some type of plasticizer,” says Frida Ramström, who is an inspector.
— It can also be lead in electrical toys.
— The vast majority of products we check are okay. What we can see is that a certain type of toys more often contain dangerous substances – they have a lower price, lower quality and do not come from well-known brands.
The fact that many people do not buy from well-known chains but perhaps directly from manufacturers in Asia is a big problem. The same rules as in the EU do not apply there, and the risk is greater of receiving a product that contains prohibited substances.
More and more people are also buying their toys second-hand.
— The requirements have become quite a lot stricter, so there is a higher risk that older toys contain dangerous substances.
Long-term impact
It is extremely rare to get acutely ill from being exposed to the substances that can be found in toys, explains Christina Rudén, professor of toxicology at Stockholm University. The impact is long-term and we don’t know exactly what it looks like.
— Our whole society, everything we use, not only toys but everything that children and adults use contains or is treated with chemicals, so we are exposed to many chemical substances every day in small concentrations. It is the combined effect of the exposure and the fact that it is lifelong that we are concerned that it may have harmful effects.
— What we are looking at are, for example, allergies, which no one knows why they have increased. We are exposed to more allergenic chemicals, but no one can say for sure what that connection looks like or how much the allergenic chemicals contribute to increasing the incidence of allergies – but probably some.
What can you do as a consumer? Linda Scott Jakobsson at Swedwatch thinks you should ask questions when shopping for toys, or ask questions on social media.
— Do not accept answers such as “we do checks and it looks good”, but demand that the companies clearly report where the toys come from, what requirements are placed on suppliers and how they ensure that the requirements are met.
Frida Ramström at the Chemicals Inspectorate advises to look out for the CE marking.
— All toys sold must have a CE mark. If they are not marked, do not buy them.