I guess I view eco-friendly on a slightly smaller scale. Something that will last me longer seems more green to me in that I'm not constantly throwing one away and purchasing another, more packaging, etc.

I would say that this is definitely not any -more- green than lots of toys already available, though.. but compared to the toys of yesteryear, it's progress.

Well, okay. Assume then when I die or this toy dies it just gets thrown in the trash. Is that better or worse than, say, throwing a standard jelly vibe with a couple AAs in it away? Because, let's be honest.. that's the real world situation.

I did mention "However, this property is only "environmentally friendly" if you continue to re-use the product, and don't throw it away." Basically, silicone is "greener" to produce and "greener" while in use, than PVC/jelly. However, in the case that neither toy is recycled in some way, neither is environmentally friendly.

Take it as you will!

Silicone toys will generally last longer than PVC and definitely jelly, so you don't have to buy 5 of the PVC or jelly toy to have a toy the same length of time you'd have the silicone toy.

I'll go along with that.

This wound up being a really difficult topic to get solid answers for, anyhow, because everyone defines life cycles differently, so numbers are all disagreeing.

Fascinating! I love learning this kind of stuff. Thanks!

So.. you lied to me?! You promised answers and.. nothing?! Well now.. I don't know what to say about that.

Do you like ponies?

Very much.

(Campaign promises are tricky! Better to come back and say "I'm not sure" than to make up a bullshit answer so I sound smart, right? I mean, I can give you a non-supported gut-feeling answer, but I would feel all irresponsible!)

^only mildly radioactive pony.

No way! Everythign you said was good. Especially the silicone v. jelly bits---I didn't even say anything about that because you nailed it.

I was just saying---I had promised to research whether rechargeable lithium batteries are better or worse in the long run than consumer-replaceable rechargeables and better or worse than good ol' coppertops. And I failed to come up with a solid conclusion.

So I was just reporting my failure to have a solid answer. Your answers were great, and you established your scope of certainty very well.

Aw Pony hugs!

I'll probably follow you there and see what you say!

I agree and as someone who worked for an unnamed( W**M***) company more things than you know are made in China. I am not sure if this is true but I was told that as long as the product was FINISHED in the USA they can tack Made In The USA on any product- for example if I outsource to say India and they were sewing some clothing for me. They would sew 3 sides in India then ship it to my factory in the USA, where the 4th side would be sewn and a nice cutesy little tag would be added that said MADE IN USA... Its something to think about.

I do my best to keep things in my home that are US made, but it's inevitable with some things :/

link

link

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If you'd like to read more, it's takes about 30 seconds to do a google search.

This isn't some bullshit I made up. The environmental crisis in China is a very well documented problem.

It also takes about 30 seconds to do a Google search to find many pictures of environmental issues in the US or many other countries. "Environmental crisis" is apparent around the world instead of just in China. China didn't contribute to global warming alone. It was still a mostly agricultural country after the Second Industrial Revolution in Europe. I find it very hypocritical how first world countries have polluted the Earth since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, and when 2nd or 3rd world countries are trying to catch up, turn around and point fingers at them. That's exactly what you're trying to do here.

Again, where did you get the information that there is NO environmental regulations in China? I can tell you right now that it is NOT LEGAL in China to dump industrial waste into rivers. Now, do people strictly enforce the law? That's up to them. In every country, there are people disobeying the law.

I remember walking on the street of California where there were signs that tells people they will receive a $200 fine if they litter trash into the drain that drains to the bay. However, just around every drain I can see trash, plastic bags, bottles etc. I am sure most people in the US have littered trash into some kind of water in their lifetime.

Again, I don't see the reason to single China out. To be honest, the Chinese don't understand why Americans drive so far just to get food. Doesn't the driving contribute to the GLOBAL environmental crisis? With more than FOUR times the population as the United States, imagine if every Chinese person had American values and way of life, and drove cars like Americans. What would that do to the environment?

I walk downtown in any major city in the US and I will find piles of filth that are environmentally hazardous. There are plenty of sensational books, films, articles, that document environmental crises in the U.S. Just off the top of my head, films like Inconvenient Truth, Fast Food Nation, What Happened to the Electric Car...all kinds of sensational images come from just those three documentaries.

In every country, there are good areas and bad areas. For every picture you try to search on Google for environmental crisis in China, I can pretty much assure you the same can be found in America. Another product comes to mind when I think about American products: corn. Corn is the most important crop in America, and it not only drives the entire food industry, but it is used for a plethora of manufacturing processes. The production of corn itself is very environmentally damaging. One search in Google (and it didn’t take 30 seconds, it only took 2) shows an in-depth report on the environmental effects of growing corn in the United States. From fertilizer, pesticides, energy and fuel consumption, to the nitrogen, phosphate production levels, to the negative impacts on water quality, biodiversity, irreparable damage to wildlife and habitats, the evidence is overwhelmingly clear. The study “King Corn: The History, Trade and Environmental Consequences of Corn (Maize) Production in the United States” can be found here: link

It’s a study conducted by an organization backed by first world countries, WWF. Now what if people from other countries said, “This isn’t some bull$@# we made up. The environmental crisis in America is a very well-documented problem.” What if they proposed a boycott of corn, and all its subsidiary products, made in the United States?

In fact, I encourage you to do what you seem so adamant about doing: go ahead and boycott all products from any country that is not a first world country. Go ahead, and try it. But first, throw away your computer please At least one part of it was made in China, if not the whole thing.
I know most Americans will probably never change the way they think about China or products made in China. It’s the way most Americans are conditioned to think, by the media, unless they are first-generation immigrants. I don’t intend on changing anyone’s opinion, I am merely trying to present another point of view, as someone who has traveled all over the U.S. and China.