Approximately 95% of the 164 million American pet owners consider their four-legged friends a member of their family.¹ In fact, this love prompts pet owners to collectively put $103 billion annually towards pet care into the American economy.² However, unlike children’s toys, there are no standards or legislation for the safety of pet products or mandatory testing of pet products. If pets are like children to pet parents across the nation, shouldn’t their health and safety be a top priority too?
Teknor Apex takes pet safety seriously and we have done what we can to ensure that our Monprene® thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are fit for use in chew toy applications, giving pet toy manufacturers and pet parents peace of mind. Ultimately, the safety of the pet product is dependent on both the toy’s design and the raw materials used in its manufacture. That’s why we went the extra mile to affirm that the Monprene TPEs used in dog toys are safe enough to use in children’s toys and in food contact applications, as well as provide an eco-friendly alternative to thermoset rubber materials that are used in many dog toys today.
High-Quality Monprene® TPEs Contribute to Pet Product Safety
What makes Monprene TPEs safe for use in pet toys? There are several factors, including, but not limited to, superior durability, carefully selected ingredients, strict manufacturing control, and suitability for children’s toys.
1. Durability
There are almost limitless options when formulating a thermoplastic elastomer. Special considerations and ingredients must be used to improve the puncture and tear resistance of a TPE, improving its durability and toughness when faced with aggressive biting and chewing. Monprene TPEs are the leading choice for a puncture and tear-resistant pet toy. Specialty grades offer superior resistance to puncture and tear for tougher dog toys, and the elasticity and durability help it hold up well to hours of fun with our four-legged friends. To help compare the durability of different materials, Teknor Apex designed a laboratory test to simulate the action of a dog biting a toy. The results showed that the Monprene specialty grades exhibited superior puncture (a.k.a. bite) resistance.
Caption: The above figure shows that the Monprene® specialty grades exhibit superior bite resistance.
2. Carefully-Selected Ingredients
Most pet parents think about what is in their pet’s food, but what about their toys? Since toys are constantly in our pets’ mouths, the type of raw material, and the quality of that material, is a critical consideration. Raw material producers must ensure that the ingredients used in pet toy products are free from harmful substances. For example, the Monprene CP-16500 series of TPEs, designed specifically for dog toys, is formulated with only FDA-listed ingredients and is not formulated to contain PVC, bisphenol A (BPA), latex, phthalates, or metals, nor any substances of concern per REACH SVHC and Prop 65. It also meets the relevant food contact requirements in Europe, as set forth by the directives EU 1935/2004 and PIM10/2011.
3. Manufactured Under Strict Quality Standards
Pet toy manufacturers can rest assured, as Monprene TPEs have been trusted by major consumer product brands for decades, with a reputation of high quality and consistency. Monprene TPEs are subject to strict formulation control and traceability. These materials are manufactured using the same specifications globally, in ISO-9001 certified facilities in the USA, Singapore, and Germany to serve local markets.
4. Suitable for Children and for "Fur Babies"
Pets are considered part of the family – so you want their toys to be as safe as those we give to a child. With the lack of regulatory standards for raw materials used in pet products, Teknor Apex has ensured that Monprene TPEs for pet toys meet the regulatory standards for children’s toys, including:
- Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)
- European Product Safety Standard EN 71
- ASTM International's Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety (F963)
With the Monprene CP-16500 series of thermoplastic elastomers, pet owners can let their pets chomp away with peace of mind knowing the material was formulated with care.
Why Use TPEs vs. Other Raw Materials?
In addition to the safety considerations outlined above, Monprene TPE is an eco-friendly alternative for pet products. Unlike alternative materials like thermoset rubber, TPEs are recyclable. This means TPE scrap can be recovered from the production process and then re-introduced into the next production cycle. If the end products need to be remade or a pet owner wants to give a toy a new life, chew toys made from Monprene TPE can also be recovered, shredded, and recycled into new toys.
Learn more about Monprene® CP-16500 Series TPE and why it is a trusted raw material for pet products.
[1] http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/facts/pet_ownership_statistics.html
[2] https://www.americanpetproducts.org/press_industrytrends.asp
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