Why do toys come in so much damn plastic?

I couldn’t help but recall Michael Maniates and his arguments while reading Cradle-to-Cradle. I thought their emphasis on human ingenuity, creativity and productivity was exactly what Maniates had in mind, when calling for greater action by individuals. What McDonough and Braunghart brought to light was how if we really put our minds into creating more "fitting-est" products, we could bring some stability to the havoc we've been wreaking. This havoc, of course, is the industrial revolution, our technosphere and "monstrous hybrids." The idea of people wearing hazardous waste on their feet in the form of shoes was a particularly good image to portray how much the little things have a huge impact on the environment. Furthermore, the argument of obsolescence and how manufacturers design products for the worst possible circumstances “as if nature is the enemy” particularly resonated with me because its true. My little brothers toys come packaged in plastic so tough, I need the jaws of life to open them. Is all that plastic REALLY necessary? I think that they have it right in outlining the ways in which cornucopian ideologies can help the planet. It may be somewhat idealistic, but there is already enough pessimism floating around when discussing the environment.