Clonakilty-based Green Dot is expanding its ethical craft business into the fun area of children’s toys with the opening of quite possibly, the best little Eco-Toy Shop in Munster. Sustainable and ethical toys fill the space that will surely become a favourite with young and old alike.
Green Dot has been steadily building a name for itself as a place to go for thoughtful and carefully-made Irish Craft and Design. A sustainable and ethical ethos has been central since the whole operation started back in 2013 (as a maternity leave project) with this connection to people and place being even more important during the recent Covid lockdowns. Owner Lisa Tonge explains: “People made a conscious decision to buy things from us, to use their purchasing power as a positive thing and it really kept us going over the last year-and-a-half.” This idea of giving people the option to make positive change made a big impact on Lisa, especially in an area very important to every parent’s plans at the moment; toys. “I had found it difficult to find toys that I actually want my children to play with and that tie in with the changes that I think we all have to make in the face of the climate crisis and for our children’s futures. This was the driving force behind this eco-toy project, so it is truly close to my heart”.
After months of research, toy companies with a similar philosophy were found; with toys made from sustainable materials, by people under proper working conditions, for children who love to play. There are classic wooden toys made from rubberwood (a waste product of the latex industry that would normally be burnt after its productive life) and from Forest Stewardship Council-approved forests. A whole selection of toys made from recycled plastic are available, with everything from soft plush toys to magnetic STEM kits to tractors, tea sets and playdough kits. Innovative materials such as bio-plastic i.e. plant based plastic and Planwood i.e. a waterproof material made from left over sawdust also feature. Recycled/sustainable cardboard is used in art kits or pop out activity sets with lots of options for all ages and at every price.
The Green Dot Eco-Toy Shop sits in a corner at the back of their beautiful craft shop at 15 Ashe St., Clonakilty. Saving the planet is a great excuse to spend a few hours looking at toys and they can all be seen at
www.greendotdesignshop.com/collections/toys.
