FAQ

How should I take care of Bioserie toys?

Because we hope Bioserie Toys can become family favorites and be passed on to another child after your baby is done using it, we include instructions for care in all our packages.

Our advice: Hand wash with warm water. Use light soap if you wish.

Should you want to clean the item in your dishwasher, prefer the upper tray and avoid very high temperature settings.

Be aware that over time, for all products, discoloration might occur, especially if the toys are washed frequently or at too hot temperatures or exposed to sun too often. It is a natural occurrence, rest assured that no harmful chemicals are released during this process. 

Important notice: The instructions below apply to toys which have been manufactured after July 2017. Always refer yourselves to the instructions inside the package - you may have an earlier version in hand which is just as safe but may not have the exact same characteristics with regards to its ability to withstand dishwasher cleaning.

What are Bioserie toys made of?

Bioserie bioplastic toys consist of a unique blend of biodegradable, compostable and environmentally friendly components, which are derived from annually renewable plants and natural resources. Our products are made with Ingeo™ biopolymer, under license from NatureWorks LLC, a key partner in our material development. Ingeo™ is made in the USA, and derived from plant sugars.

What does "USDA certified 100% biobased" mean?

A biobased product can be defined as a commercial or industrial product that is composed in whole, or in significant part, of biological products or renewable domestic agricultural materials or forestry materials. Bioserie is a member of the United States Department of Agriculture’s BioPreferred™ Program which includes the USDA Certified Biobased product labeling program. USDA Certified Biobased product labels confirm the ratio of biobased components in a product. To obtain the label or the certificate a product must be subjected to ASTM 6866 test, which measures the amount of fossil carbon in that particular product. Bioserie products are certified by USDA to be 100% biobased, meaning an ASTM 6866 test returns 0% fossil carbon (oil or coal) in the product. In other words, our products are tested and certified to be completely free of oil-based chemicals, and they are wholly made of biological, natural materials.

Are Bioserie toys safer for your baby’s health?

BPA, PVC, Phthalates, Styrenes and Heavy Metals are well-known health offenders associated with oil-based plastics. These materials, in whole or used as additives, may be present in plastic items that we use everyday including toys. Some of these substances can act as hormone disruptors linked to possible reproductive problems and birth defects, some are potent carcinogens that accumulate in animals and in humans, some are known neurotoxins with other negative health effects. Toxic heavy metals such as lead are sometimes found in the paints and coatings of wood and plastic toys.

Bioserie toys contain none of those oil-based chemicals, because our raw materials are derived from plants, not oil. We add no oil-based chemicals during the manufacturing process to “enhance” the performance or color of our product, because we developed our own manufacturing technology to achieve the performance level we need. Even the coloring materials we use are specially developed for biopolymers; they are based on sustainable raw materials.

Furthermore, we don’t just assume those oil-based toxic chemicals are not there, our products are tested and certified by renowned third parties to be free of any oil-based chemicals. 

How does a Bioserie bioplastic toy have less impact on the environment than most regular plastic toys ?

Bioserie toys deliver outstanding value with a considerably lower environmental impact versus (most) regular plastic toys.

Significantly Lower Carbon Footprint:

Any regular plastic toy you've used until now was made from petrochemicals (oil and/or natural gas). Conventional plastic toys rely on increasingly scarce resources and in the process of being manufactured they cause between 2 - 7 times their own weight in greenhouse gases to be emitted into our atmosphere (a little known fact about all those plastics that we so take for granted in our everyday lives). Because Bioserie products are made from PLANTS, not oil; they contribute considerably less greenhouse gases to the atmosphere during their whole production chain compared to traditional plastic materials.

Cradle to gate comparison studies conducted by independent parties prove that our main raw material, Ingeo biopolymer manufactured by NatureWorks has significant CO2 savings. Today, manufacturing Ingeo produces approximately 80% less greenhouse gases and uses approximately 60% less non-renewable energy (NREU) than traditional oil based polymers like polystyrene. 

Annually Renewable Resources:

Another key environmental benefit of Bioserie bioplastic toys and nursing aids is the efficient use of annually renewable plant resources. This fact helps us excel at environmental responsibility.

What are the end of life options for Bioserie toys?

Re-use

Our best advice is to give your Bioserie toy to a child around you or to a charity. There are always kids in need of toys around us.

Disposal

If for some reason, your Bioserie product were to be disposed, which really is not what we wish, you should know that it fits into all existing disposal systems. These vary widely around the world, and even within specific localities. Despite looking like a great set of choices, the unfortunate reality is that many cities and municipalities around the world still landfill almost everything. At Bioserie, we don't accept this waste of our precious resources and that's why, step-by-step, we aspire to bring you attractive products that offer real end of life alternatives to the sad landfill fate.

Incineration

Bioserie toys can be incinerated with energy recovery (gaining renewable energy out of this due to the renewable resources used for the production).

Recycling

Unlike some conventional oil-based plastic products, Bioserie bioplastic products can potentially be simply and economically recycled as the material it's made of can be remade into another bioplastic product again and again. However, recycling option is still extremely limited in real life conditions, as the vast majority of recycling facilities worldwide are still not yet equipped to handle PLA (our main raw material) properly. We believe it’s just a matter of time until our products can enter the recycling streams like conventional plastics.

Composting

Ingeo™, the material we use to produce Bioserie bioplastic products – is industrially compostable. Simply put, it means that composting can be carried out in industrial composting facilties, where temperature, moisture and turning are carefully regulated. Although this is an exciting prospect, we realize that we may be a bit ahead of the curve there. This waste management option is still in early development stages worldwide, as it requires separate collection and recycling streams to be opened for products made from PLA (Polylactic Acid) such as ours.

We believe in driving change, one small step at a time, and that's why we're making Bioserie products out of fundamentally more responsible materials. Complicated? Yes, it is, and that's why we at Bioserie appreciate you taking the time to read through this. We're excited about the journey we're on and we invite you to join us in our efforts for a cleaner, more pristine environment.