Hi, I’m Larissa, the founder of Green Leaf Toys.
When my husband and I found out I was pregnant, we were over the moon. I’ve always been an active environmentalist and had been talking about sustainability for almost 7 years and I was excited to continue my journey now as a mum.
As we prepared for our baby’s arrival we looked for sustainable alternatives for everything. Cloth nappies? Check. Hand-me-downs? Check. Second-hand nursery? Check! We were nailing the whole second hand thing. We had all we needed to wait for our little bundle of joy and we were doing it sustainably.
As our baby girl grew, so did her interest for toys and they started accumulating…quickly! First in our living room, then in a box in our guest bedroom and so on…We just had too many toys! I’m sure most parents can relate to that struggle. And once you have a kid to look after, searching for second hand toys is not necessarily easier. There’s the research, search for second hand options on Marketplace, hope-it’s-not-a-scam, pick up and then in a very short time your kid won’t even want to look at the toy anymore, so you end up in a cycle of having to donate, dump or resell the toys, which all takes time.
Living through all of these struggles as an A-type parent made me think of better options which weren’t available in Australia. Toy libraries are great but you can only rent a certain amount of toys (usually less than 10 a year) and toy subscriptions still leave me with the problem of having to sort out through the toys after the kids no longer want them.
The Solution?
I wanted to offer a service that would help parents solve many of their hurdles at once and researching online we found similar options in the UK, US and several other countries. So together with my husband Jean, we developed Green Leaf Toys.
Our circular system helps parents worry less and enjoy their kids more. By signing up with Green Leaf Toys you:
- Have less clutter at home
- Don’t have to pay full price for good-quality toys
- Don’t have to worry about finding age-appropriate toys
- Have access to high-quality, sustainable and safe toys
- Offer open-ended play which allows for more engaging, creative and happy kiddos
- Save the planet while playing!
It’s a win-win situation for everyone. We curate the toys, source them, clean them and send them to you. While you play and learn, you don’t have to worry about what’s next. We look after it all and will send you a new box full of engaging new toys in two months time. You can send your toys back once you have your new box so you are never left without toys. Plus, when we rent we reduce our over-consumption and share our precious resources instead of buying more and more!
Renting is another great way to show your little one/s how sustainability can be done in many different (and fun) ways. SO many wins!
We know that the idea behind Green Leaf Toys is a little novel and there’s lots to learn but we hope that your family finds joy in joining our family in saving the planet playing!
Will I see you on the other side?
