Why use Pure Natural Rubber for Baby Toys
Meyia & Alvin and Tikiri Toys are made from 100% pure natural rubber and ethically sourced cotton materials. These brands are currently sold in over 60 countries around the world and won the award for Best Ethical Gift of 2020 www.giftoftheyear.co.uk and Moms Choice Award Gold 2020
Thats worth shouting about isn’t it, but what do we mean when we say “pure natural rubber”?
Why Natural Rubber?
We passionately believe that as our products are given to babies and young children at the very start of their lives, that we have a duty of care to make sure and that they are made from materials that will not harm them or add additional harm to our planet.
Although we love our products we don’t want them to still be around in hundreds of years like plastic toys. So an important part of our story is that these products will eventually biodegrade.
Where Does Our Rubber Come From?
The rubber we use comes from the Hevea Brasiliensis tree, which is a native tree to the Amazon. In 1876 about 2000 seedlings were sent to Ceylon (Modern day Sri Lanka) this started our rubber plantations.
All our rubber is sourced directly form a family run plantation in Sri Lanka. This cuts down on transportation and CO2 emissions of our main raw material and supports small business in our own country.
How Do You Harvest Natural Rubber ?
To extract the rubber from the tree you use a process called tapping, this is a very skilled job and this has to be done by hand. A collecting groove is made in the bark, this is where the skill comes in as you need to ensure that you do not damage the tree by cutting too deep. The tree releases the latex and this slowly drips into a holding cup, this process takes about 6 hours.
What Is Natural Rubber Used For?
We know that as far back as 1600 B.C the Mesoamerican people form Mexico and Central America were using this liquid rubber for medicines and for painting.
Rubber is used in so many everyday products, without it we wouldn't be able to drive our cars, or ride our bikes as it is rubber that makes the journey a lot more comfortable.
So long before we were making toys, this amazing material was being used.
Why Do We Say Pure Natural Rubber?
Rubber used for commercial production has chemicals added to it to help with the preservation of the compound.
Tikiri only source latex from small plantations which are certified organic and where no chemicals are used for preservation. We also do not add any anti fungal agents, or add any UV stabilisers or absorbers ensuring that all our toys are as pure and natural as they can be.
If you are on the hunt for a baby teething toy or baby soother then please do have a look at our Baby Teethers Collections pages here.
If you have any questions about our range of baby toys then we would love to hear from you - please do not hesitate to Contact Us.