Soft Toys, Plush Items and Sports Products

Toys, plush items (which are defined as any fabric/material/plastic product) and sports products must conform to the following guidelines:

• Products must be packaged so that the item cannot be damaged, soiled or cause unsafe conditions by reason of exposure during the fulfilment process.
• Any open sided boxes or containers need to have the exposed face covered. Any irregular shaped products (e.g. toys) must be bagged. If the exposed item is a regular shape these can be shrink wrapped.
• The polythene bag/shrinkwrap should not protrude more than 7.5cm past the dimensions of the product.
• All bags used on toys (a toy is defined as any product or material designed or clearly intended for use in play by children of less than 14 years of age) thinner than 0.038mm and opening of 5 inches or more must have 6mm holes perforated and requires a suffocation warning label, and all bags greater than the size of a baby's head must a have a warning printed. For example: ‘Plastic bags can be dangerous. To avoid danger of suffocation, keep this wrapper away from babies and children’
• Packaging must be safe, taking into account the fact that children will be using the product, and must comply with all relevant laws, regulations, guidance and industry standards.
• Any bagged items must have a visible and scannable barcode (either on the outside of the polythene bag or on the item).
• Any barcodes on swing tickets must be facing upwards to allow scanning without opening the bag.
• Child-appealing products and toys that have draw-string closures must be over-bagged.
• Sports balls (e.g. footballs or basketballs) must be boxed if inflated or semi-inflated. Uninflated balls can be bagged.

An example of good packaging where the item is enclosed in a sealed box and the open face is sealed.

An example of bad packaging where the item is in an open-faced box that is not sealed.

Examples of good packaging where the items are enclosed in bags with clearly printed suffocation warnings.