Recycled wood and reclaimed plastic might not be the first thing on a child’s Christmas wish list, but the four-wheeling vehicles and storytelling adventure guides in the Sprig Adventure Series made by Sprig Toys (Fort Collins, CO; www.sprigtoys.com) are sure to be a hit. In fact, online retailer Firebox.com recently announced its Christmas hotlist, on which these Sprig toys topped the children’s gift list. The trend towards environmentally friendly toys is growing, and in 2007 specialty toymakers offering green alternatives reported a 60% increase in holiday sales over previous years.

Sprig Toys teamed up with JER Envirotech (Delta, BC, Canada; www.jerenvirotech.com) to develop the material for the toys, a durable, child-safe thermoplastic biocomposite called Sprigwood. Best of all, the toys require no batteries, and the LED lights and sounds are powered by a child’s push action. Though these toys are flying off the shelves, you can find a retailer selling them near you on Sprig’s website. Sprig has some other innovative toys in the works, so we’ll keep you posted on imm.plasticstoday.com.—[email protected]