Recycling your old toys? Here's another thing to worry about

That's what happened when I tried to put the cap back on one of my old toys, a semi-flexible plastic "milk bottle" that came with five other bottles and a basket to carry them in. I didn't even squeeze hard, and my thumb went right through the side, causing it to shatter into nice, sharp, easily swallowed pieces. Luckily this happened after my toddler was in bed - we could have had a nice trip to the emergency room if she had done this herself and either impaled herself on the shards or eaten some of them.

I went through the remaining bottles and this happened with one of the other four I still had, so I pitched the whole set out.

So I guess when I pull out the toys I saved from my childhood, not only do I have to scrub off 30 years of dirt and check to make sure the pieces aren't choking hazards, I also have to make sure any plastic is still flexible enough to not shatter at the drop of a hat (or the squeeze of a thumb). Crud.