To the Environment

Five Little Monkeys, as the first toy store to become a Green Certified Bay Area Business, offers a unique selection of toys whose impact on the environment is minimal. When selecting our toys we look at where they are made, what they are made from, and where they will end up. We prefer toys with minimal packaging and especially those whose packaging is biodegradable and/or recyclable.

Here is a list of 25 things we do to be green:

1. Recycle! Plastic, Glass, Paper, and more!
2. Reuse boxes and shipping material
3. Encourage staff to bring lunch in re-useable tupperware instead of plastic baggies
4. Ask if customers need a bag rather than assume
5. Offer quality toys that last a long time so they can be passed on and won't end up in landfill
6. Avoid products with excessive packaging
7. Install low-flow water fixtures
8. When possible, limit deliveries to full van loads.
9. Use both sides of paper before recycling it
10. Encourage staff to walk, take public transit, or bike to work
11. Carry products made from renewable resources, recycled materials, and organic cloth
12. Use energy star rated equipment
13. Re-use paper scraps and paper clips instead of post-its
14. Run several errands at once when driving
15. Use dry-erase boards and emails for employee memos instead of paper
16. Donate damaged toys to organizations who fix them and reuse them
17. Use airflow from open windows and doors for cooling
18. Purchase supplies made from recycled materials
19. Support other local green businesses
20. Walk to do errands
21. Use biodegradable, recyclable shopping bags made from recycled paper
22. Drive a hybrid company car
23. Place fewer larger orders for merchandise to save on fuel consumption
24. Use non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning products
25. Use a timer and occupancy sensors for our bathroom light switch