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Each year, tens of millions of hazardous toys and childrens products are sold to unsuspecting consumers who are under the mistaken belief that the U.S. government inspects and regulates all the goods flowing into this country.
Now, it is imperative that Congress and the new administration turn a landmark product safety law passed in the summer from concept to reality. The Obama administration must create new rules so federal regulators can more easily recall dangerous, life-threatening goods; establish a new product complaint database that consumers can search from the Web; provide the resources and staff necessary to protect American families.
For too long, the federal agency responsible for keeping hazardous products off our shelves has been too cozy with the manufacturing industry it was supposed to regulate. At the same time, major U.S. corporations have cut costs by shifting manufacturing plants to overseas sweatshops where workers are paid pennies an hour and safety regulations often take a back seat to cutting costs.
It's time to put the safety of American consumers above corporate profits.
23 older comments, see the full discussion ^
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It it way past time for all Americans to stand up to the selling out of our country. I dont have anything against unions, I've belonged to them and I see that the workers were getting greedier by the day which "may" have had some of the blame for shipping manufacturing overseas.
If we as a nation could find it in our hearts and minds to cut back some and not have to have everything right this minute perhaps we can indeed get our country back and our jobs too.
Remember this, all those countries we cant even pronounce are literally throwing goods together with whatever materials are put in our landfills, shipped to other countries and recycled into "new" products shipped back to us. Be wise, buy American whenever and however you can....
Posted by L.D. Long on 12/04/2008 @ 12:24AM PST
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Promoting small businesses to manufacture these goods indigenously in America, is long overdue. I am sure Obama administration will do everything, for small businesses to grow and offset these cheap and inferrior Chinese products. Thanks.
Posted by Atanu Banerjee on 12/04/2008 @ 12:38AM PST
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It is time to put American's first. Trade with China is secondary to the health of our citizens. China has shown itself to be negligent and has caused illnesses and deaths in our children, our pets and ourselves. Toys that are found to be tainted with lead and other toxins are often untraceable as people donate them to charities, sell them on the internet and at garage sales. Faulty valve stems from China have had a major recall and their failure can cause deadly crashes. See http://blogs.consumerreports.org and enter "valve Stem recall." That this continues is a disgrace. Stop trade with China until they stop killing us.
Posted by christine gilbert on 12/04/2008 @ 03:46AM PST
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http://www.cchr.org/#/videos/making-a-killing-introduction
PLEASE EVERYONE SEE THIS 4 PART VIDEO!!!
I can't belive this is America Anymore!!!! Our children are like their experiments!!!
HELP US ALL, SOMBODY HELP US FROM THIS!!!
Posted by Carolyn Kennedy on 12/04/2008 @ 08:56AM PST
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Yes! great idea!
We need to stop these imports! We need massive fines against those who import them! We need to look after the people who make them!
Profit is not king! Look after your customers!
Posted by Jeff Hoon on 12/04/2008 @ 10:05AM PST
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A biochemist warned me about the damage that overuse of Tylenol can do to the liver and kidneys. Now Tylenol is advertising on TV that Tylenol helps the liver.
Talk about two opposite views...!
Our daughter died of a blood clot. Instead of seeing a doctor, she took Tylenol for the pain. When she died a week later they autopsied her and found both her liver and kidneys too damaged for donation.
Posted by Eileen Mericle on 12/04/2008 @ 12:19PM PST
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Much of the problem with the Agency's, charged to regulate the safety of Food, toys,and Other products was the lack of funding. from what I have read money was moved from regulatory agencies to the Dept of Defense. We will need some new regulation, but allot this problems can be solved through enforcement of laws that are already on the Books.
Posted by Lee Davis on 12/04/2008 @ 12:59PM PST
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This is a big and important issue. The US needs to create standards for imports, tighten up lax ones and then enforce them!
I'm all for it!
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/controlled_globalization
Posted by Marita M on 12/04/2008 @ 08:54PM PST
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I would like to see everything done just about opposite what George Bush did. He turned just about every concern into a danger! Now we really have problems. The number is too long to enumerate. For starters, let's insist on proper meat and crop inspections and get the FDA to actually protect us.
Posted by Karen Stone on 12/04/2008 @ 10:39PM PST
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The CPSC and FDA are doing an incredibly poor job of protecting us. The keywords for the future are accountability and transparency. The public needs to know who is doing or not doing what and they need to be held accountable for their actions and inactions. A few websites that can help are NotinMyCart.com (supported by Consumers Union), ToysMadeinAmerica.com, foodandwaterwatch.org, and ga3.org. It's up to us to make it happen, do it!
Posted by DeWayne Rhudy on 12/05/2008 @ 08:53AM PST
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It is well recognized that port inspectors can only inspect a minute fraction of the imports. Thus, at least 95% of items go uninspected and toxic toys and foodstuffs, which may contain both toxins and bacterial and viral organisms, can be bought and sold without anyone knowing. For the protection of the public, imports from nations with low standards should be avoided. This has other benefits, including a reversal of the negative import-export balance and reduction of the national debt. It also reduces the negative impact of funding the military of dictatorships.
Posted by Ian Cree on 12/05/2008 @ 05:44PM PST
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although toxic toys are dangerous, the source is china, their manufacturing economy is similar to ours back in the early half of the 20th centruy and late 18th centruy. they are already being projected as the next world leader economy. we have to stop this now and bring these back overseas to the U.S. to create jobs and make our economy work... with proper safty measures of course
Posted by Steven Maloney on 12/05/2008 @ 11:35PM PST
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Public Citizen and the Natural Resources Defense Council have sued the federal government to keep toys with phthalates off store shelves:
http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=2779
Please send all your friends an email and tell them to vote for this idea.
Send them this link:
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/keep_toxic_toys_and_dangerous_goods_off_our_shelves
Posted by Joe Newman on 12/06/2008 @ 09:10AM PST
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I work as an Online Parent Organizer for the Environmental Working Group (EWG), with the express purpose of passing the Kid Safe Chemicals Act, which would overhaul the antiquated and incredibly weak Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976. Yes, 1976.
Join our effort - we plan to see this through. Learn more here: www.ewg.org/kidsafe, and watch out 22-minute '10 Americans' presentation (on the same page), it explains the whole sordid mess about the industrial chemicals in our bodies rather well. It's a thorough approach to chemical safety, rather than a ban or chemical-by-chemical approach, which would take far too long. There are more than 80,000 industrial chemicals on the market, after all, and we know precious little about their safety. Can you just hear "We need to do some more research before we can ban this one, folks." No thanks. The health of my kids - and yours - are very much at stake.
Posted by Lisa Frack on 12/06/2008 @ 02:34PM PST
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If Obama would post Ralph Nadir as the of Head of the EPA, this problem would be solved. This is where this man belongs he fights for your safety everyday and has become the butt of many political jokes. However, he is the real deal as far as an advocate for consumer safety. Ralph Nadir to the EPA post!
Posted by Susan Roberts-Emery on 12/09/2008 @ 10:36AM PST
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Really good blog post about avoiding Lead based toys! http://greenhour.org/content/blog/detail/6240/
Posted by Danielle Brigida on 12/11/2008 @ 11:13AM PST
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I really appreciate all the support for USA made toys. We are a natural toy manufacturer located in Ann Arbor, MI. For years we have produced safe and natural USA made toys. However, this new toy legislation is going to put us and 1000's out of business. It is time to support the people who are trying to make a difference. Please, visit HANDMADETOYALLIANCE.ORG and learn more about this poorly written legislation and the END of American manufacturing.
Posted by jason gold on 12/11/2008 @ 11:40AM PST
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I fully support keeping toxins out of our children in the environment and I live by this by owning a store that sells ONLY products garunteed to be without Lead, BPA and phthalates BY MY CHOICE. But this new law is going to put me out of business along with all of the other natural toy makers that have remained in the USA manufacturng toys because they cared to much to sell out their product and their country. Stop buying imported plastic toys, educated yourself about what is safe and put your money where your mouth is. These companies would go out of business and the US manufacturers would be able to grow. Thereis nothing wrong with standars and legislation, but this legislation requires a ridiculous amounts of testing for manufactures operating in the USA with no exceptions. Learn more about the impacts of a law before you vote to support this one, or pretty soon you won't be able to by a natural wood toy either.
Posted by Rachel Zylstra on 12/11/2008 @ 05:13PM PST
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As a parent, I am very concerned about the safety of toys. However, I think the bill was written poorly, and could be dangerous if put into action. It requires ALL toys to be tested, even handmade toys here in the U.S. I love to buy natural wood toys from sites like Etsy, but this bill could end all toy sales on there, as I am sure none of those sellers have the money to do the testing, which costs $4,000 per item.
I will not vote for this idea, I instead voted for the one supporting handmade toys.
Posted by Meghann McLeroy on 12/13/2008 @ 11:21AM PST
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This is a necessary idea, but please think of the repercussions on small scale toymakers who by and large produce from all natural materials.
See http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org for some specific changes needed to pending laws.
Essentially, small scale producers in the United States making homemade toys could be required to submit complete material lists instead of prohibitively expensive lab testing.
Posted by Steve Pinkham on 12/13/2008 @ 11:41AM PST
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CancerTutor.com
PhoenixTears.Ca
The FDA's not totally corrupt but many many things need to be exposed about these guys and their FDA approved products. We need to focus on peace, a green-world, and honestly cannabis to improve the quality of life in this current world.
Posted by Operation Legalize on 12/13/2008 @ 02:58PM PST
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Please keep in mind that this new bill update is poorly written and affects thousands of U.S. crafters and small businesses. Because of the way the bill is written, it will be illegal to sell handmade baby blankets (quilts, crochet, etc.) children's clothing, children's toys, vintage children's items etc. unless they are tested by an independent 3rd party lab (which costs minimum $400 per item). School craft fair fundraisers, blanket donation projects (Project Linus, St. Jude, etc) will all be affected by this. Thousands of small boutiques and sole proprieterships will go out of business. If you value the quality and custom craftmanship I urge you NOT to vote for this bill. Please visit the save handmade toys post under ECONOMY at change.org, the handmade toy alliance, and the CPSIA.
Thank you for reading.
http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_handmade_toys_from_the_cpsia
http://www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/legislation.html
http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/advisory/322.pdf
http://www.nationalbankruptcyday.com/
Posted by shannon schultze on 12/13/2008 @ 04:10PM PST
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You all are posting wanting safe, USA-made toys, but the new CSPC law will obliterate them, because ironically, the only companies who will be able to afford the new testing are the big Chinese manufacturers. One-man and one-woman crafters of all types will be put out of business by this new law. Please go vote to SAVE safe USA-made toys!
https://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_handmade_toys_from_the_cpsia
Posted by Andrea Hall on 12/13/2008 @ 05:24PM PST
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Yes, lead is bad. No, I don't want my kids to ingest it. Yes, I support the intent of this law to help me protect my children from poorly made toys. However, the scope of the regulations as written are too broad-reaching and have devastating consequences for cottage industry.
Thousands of craftspeople and artisans are making safe, Made-In-America toys and child care items (blankets, bibs, etc.). We sell them online, at crafts fairs, and at specialty boutiques. We offer parents alternatives to the big box stores and mass-produced consumer products. We make nothing we wouldn't let our own children use. We use the same materials anyone can purchase at their local fabric and crafts stores.
Our livelihoods are threatened by this law and regulations as written. If these regulations are not amended, we will lose our businesses.
Posted by Sarah Schimeck on 12/14/2008 @ 07:46AM PST
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As a mother of a 20 month old I am gravely concerned about the safety of the toys my child plays with, the clothes he wears, his enviornment, and the food he eats.
One decision I made last holiday season was to purchase handmade in the USA toys. Gifts included a wood racing car, a hand quilted blanket and a beautiful organic cotton teddy bear. No plastics, nothing imported from China. As of Feb 10th, none of these toys will be legal to sell in the USA, the small manufacturers and retailers will not be able to afford the testing which is required for everything from thread to unfinished wood.
The sad irony of this law is that it will put hard-working, honest craftspeople who do really care about the safety of our children out of work. This country is about to lose the precious tradition of handmade, quality. To be replaced by mountains of plastic - made in China.
Posted by Colleen Baker on 12/14/2008 @ 08:15AM PST
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The small businesses and work-at-home parents who make and sell the natural, organic, made-in-the-USA toys I love to buy for my son will not be able to pay for the expensive and often redundant testing requirements the CPSIA requires. They will be put out of business even though they are the ones who are making the MOST safe and natural toys on the market. This law must be revised to save the jobs of thousands of US artisans and craftspeople, and to protect our chidren's right to have handmade, traditional toys.
Posted by Amanda Morey on 12/14/2008 @ 08:59AM PST
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Small American handcrafters of childrens products, clothing and toys included, will be forced to close with the way this law is written.
What happens when these businesses close?
More unemployment?
More welfare?
Possibly even homeless....
This law must be revised!
Many American families depend on the Work From Home Income!!
Posted by Leta Johnston on 12/14/2008 @ 09:39AM PST
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I agree with you 100% Leta.
I want my children safe, but I also want to be able to continue my home based business. I am for this law BUT with revisons that allow me to stay in business.
It needs to be revised!!
Posted by K w on 12/14/2008 @ 10:22AM PST
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Safe, USA-made toys (particularly those handmade by small and micro businesses) will become extinct. The new CSPC law will obliterate them, because ironically, the only companies who will be able to afford the new testing are the big manufacturers outsourcing the manufacturing of them overseas.
One-man and one-woman crafters of all types (this law will end handmade clothing, diapers, books, furniture, toys, ANYTHING intended to be sued by children under the age of 12) will be put out of business by this new law. The wording of it takes no consideration of small businesses and how they can comply. Please go vote to SAVE safe USA-made toys!
https://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_handmade_toys_from_the_cpsia
Posted by Heather Flottmann on 12/14/2008 @ 04:05PM PST
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It's important to note that this same law that that you're referring to, the ill-conceived Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, will absolutely decimate the small toy manufacturers, independent artisans, and crafters in the US who have already earned the public trust. This law needs to be revised before it goes into effect in February. Otherwise, it will unintentionally put independent artists and small businesses within the US out of business by making the sale of handmade good essentially illegal.
For more information, please read another proposal on Change.org here:
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_handmade_toys_from_the_cpsia
Posted by Deanna Gardner on 12/14/2008 @ 06:21PM PST
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Another maker of kids' stuff here; in my case, I tie-dye clothing for kids. I but blanks from reputable online suppliers and from larger discount stores (eg Target), and occasionally second-hand. I was about to explore organic fabrics when this law came to my attention, and given its ramifications, I've held off. Here's why:
If this law goes into effect as written, I can OBTAIN lead-free-certified cotton clothing, USE lead-free dyes (which I already do), and STILL be liable to have the resulting tie-dyed garment tested for lead. Wal-Mart imports batches of THOUSANDS, and can have ONE per batch tested; I make batches of ONE. There is NO WAY I can afford to offer my products after February 10, 2009 without a sensible amendment to this legislation!
To top it off, I'll have to give EACH of my products a label with a unique SKU number - I can spend a total of an hour tying and dyeing, not counting the time for the dye to set and then laundering, but another hour to make a unique tag for EACH GARMENT and do the tracking paperwork for this.
First and foremost, I'm a mom, and one of my kids is special-needs, so I'm pretty darned fussy about what they eat and play with in terms of toxins especially. I've done my research about heavy metals and what they can do to kids, and about chelation therapy to eventually get it out of the body. It's a big deal to me. That's one big reason I go out of my way to use fiber-reactive dyes that BOND to the fibers and WILL NOT wash out or come off in a child's mouth if a child or baby sucks on the fabric. But folks like me won't be able to count on that extra bit of income - and for many manufacturers who aren't "merely" hobbyists like me, it'll be truly devastating - if this law goes into effect without some recognition that we're not only NOT the ones the law is aimed at but are in fact often the ones who EXCEED the law's toxin targets!
I urge you NOT to vote for this cause, at least not as currently written, but to educate yourself. If you want to buy handmade wooden toys finished only with food-grade beeswax, if you want to purchase baby onesies made of organic cotton by small-batch high-quality artisans, you will be OUT OF LUCK as of Feb 10, 2009!
Thanks for reading.
Deb Stahl
Generations Tie Dye
Posted by Deb Stahl on 12/14/2008 @ 07:26PM PST
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if you really care about your children, America and our suffering economy, you will NOT vote for this idea, but rather...
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_handmade_toys_from_the_cpsia
This second idea brings all concerns regarding safety to the forefront while saving MANY American jobs and supporting our economy and American ingenuity.
Support American small businesses and independent, hardworking people who do what they do because the LOVE children!
Posted by Myrinda Dixon on 12/14/2008 @ 08:36PM PST
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Please do not vote for this idea. The current act that takes effect in Feb '09 has the opposite effect than intended. Because ALL products for children under 12 will need to be tested, the smaller independent AMERICAN businesses who have strived to provide safe alternatives to the made in China imports at big box stores, will not be able to survive, while the testing and labeling are just a blip to the mass producers. Many healthy childrens products from Europe are already stopping their imports to the US because of the act as it is written. Please, please, please look into this further before supporting this. While it's intentions are good, it will have a negative impact on our economy, our choices and the safe products that we relied on in the first place. Also realize that it is not limited to toys, but to ALL products for children.
Check the link in the comment above and support that idea. It is to encourage safe regulations on our products, but in a way that will not destroy the small, independent business and target the ones that it is intended to target.
Thanks!
Posted by Sandy Grau on 12/15/2008 @ 06:07AM PST
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I am appauled by this.
This bill you speak of will KILL off hundreds of thousands of small businesses who make handmade, safe & traditional toys for our children.
Please read this to learn more.
http://tinyurl.com/6cj92v
Posted by Josh Divelbiss on 12/16/2008 @ 10:09AM PST
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This law is way too extreme and was taken too far. I have 4 young children and safety is of course important to me. That is why I started my small business making items for babies and children. My children wear and use my items. I also sell them to help with our income. This ridiculous law will force myself and thousands of other work at home moms and small business owners to close down. With the economy in the state that it's already in this only devistate our country further. Please amend this law and keep the unsafe products from entering our country from places like China. Don't punish your own people.
Posted by Jennifer Olivas on 12/16/2008 @ 12:45PM PST
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CPSIA is a great idea in theory, but in practice the way it's written will destroy the US economy! Read www.nationalbankruptcyday.com and www.fashion-incubator.com for more info, someone else also posted in a comment a link to the Handmade Toy Alliance, that's another good site to look at. If it's left as-is, CPSIA will make toy safety and the US economy WORSE than it is now!
Posted by Ruth Kubierschky on 12/17/2008 @ 06:11AM PST
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My son is autistic, and toxic for over 10 metals.
This is a common medical finding in autism spectrum disorders, because our kids cannot clear metals efficiently.
His latest metal screen shows very high blood levels of lead and mercury. His favorite toy, Leapster, is high in lead per my research. You can also go to www.healthytoys.org to research toys. I am in disbelief that these toys are even sold. This has to stop.
Posted by Lisa Ryden on 12/17/2008 @ 10:27AM PST
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This landmark law that you refer to, CPSIA 2008, is flawed, and poorly written. It will put all US makers of handmade toys out of business, because we cannot afford to do the testing it requires.
I make crocheted, stuffed animals. I use acrylic yarn and new polyester fiberfill. Each toy is one of a kind. There are no metal parts. The faces are embroidered with yarn - no eyes to pull off. They are washable. They are very child friendly. But according to the CPSIA 2008, I have to test each toy for lead. Impossible. So I will have to stop selling them.
This law was intended to stop the imports of unsafe toys into the US. As written, it shuts down all handmade toys made in the US.
Please reconsider.
Posted by Eileen Flieg on 12/17/2008 @ 10:58AM PST
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I agree that consumers need protection, but doesn't the CPSIA that is currently being phased in cover this to SUCH an extent that it will put small manufacturers (home shops, artisans, crafters, etc.) out of business? Seems counterproductive, doesn't it?
Posted by Jen B on 12/18/2008 @ 01:37AM PST
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lottery of homes churches and non profits sometimes buy a house and then raffle it away and not only do they sell it in a week but they make
50,000.00 on it. The california lottery is tens of millions every so often. The government should give the california lottery 1 or 2 billion dollars or atleast right to raffle houses away and in turn the california lottery can get rid of thousands of houses make money fund schools create thousands of jobs stabalize home prices create tax revenue all at less than one percent of the financial bail out. One person should not win 25 houses but 25 people should win 1 house.
No one wins anything out of an empty home, no taxes, no revenue, no jobs, and because of this it depresses the area and brings down their neighbors home value.
- angel saavedra (practical is my middle name), lynwood, CA Dec 16 @ 10:32PM PST
Posted by angel saavedra on 12/18/2008 @ 06:06PM PST
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End any treaty that limits our ability to raise tariffs. Use an increased tariff on ALL items imported into the United States to pay for more inspectors as well as more border patrol agents, immigration agents, TSA agents, etc. and use the military to patrol airports, shipping yards, border towns, etc. The main purpose of the federal government is to protect and we must bring more attention to that.
Posted by Michael Raney on 12/23/2008 @ 04:22AM PST
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As a creator of children's toys, using ONLY NATURAL materials, I am very saddened by the new regulations that will put my shop and thousands like mine out of business.
I use organic wool, cotton, soy. I stuff my animals with wool roving - recently shorn from the sheep, clean and pure. Or eco-fill, a stuffing made from corn. No plastics. No lead. I often embroider the faces of my stuffed animals and dolls with cotton embroidery thread.
The new CPSA regulations have not been thought through. With the current economy, my small business puts food on our table, and pays the electric bill. What will happen now??
Posted by Woolies Woolies on 12/23/2008 @ 05:43PM PST
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THIS LAW IS FLAWED AND WILL PUT MILLIONS OF SAFE, ORGANIC, AND NATURAL TOYS AND CHILDREN'S GOODS INTO LANDFILLS. These are the very toys we turn to in order to stay away from the toys that created these problems in the first place!
Please read about this law and how it can be amended to make our children safe AND preserve thousands of American jobs making SAFE children's items. Safety of our children is our number one concern. But as drafted, the CPSIA will bankrupt thousands of American businesses making SAFE children's products by forcing them to undertake grossly redundant testing. The way this law is drafted, every component that goes into a children's item has to be tested for lead. Good idea, right? Consider this. Let's say that 1,000 different children's clothing manufacturers use the same cotton fabric to make children's clothes. And they use that fabric in three different items. Each manufacturer must test that fabric three times, meaning that the SAME fabric will be tested 3,000 times! How will testing the SAME thing thousands of times (or hundreds of thousands of times) make our children safer?
This wouldn't be such a big deal if it wasn't going to send THOUSANDS of American workers into the unemployment lines and thousands of American businesses into bankruptcy. But IT WILL. And there are so many ways that we can amend this law to (1) ensure the safety of our children, and (2) save American businesses making safe children's products. If, for example, the law required the manuacturer of the cotton fabric to test the fabric it makes, it would eliminate the need for garment manufacturers to test that fabric hundreds of thousands of times. This would keep our children safe AND allow our businesses to continue.
NOBODY IS QUESTIONING THE NEED TO TEST CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS FOR LEAD. But what proponents of this law often do not realize (or ignore) is that Americans turn to handmade children's goods to stay away from the mass-produced and unsafe products that got us here. But THIS LAW WILL MAKE HANDMADE TOYS AND CHILDREN'S GOODS ILLEGAL (we simply cannot afford to undergo hundreds of thousands of dollars in redundant testing), and let the giants who used lead paint in the first place to go on. How does that make any sense?
PLEASE... visit www.handmadetoyalliance.org to read more about this problem before making up your mind about this law. Please help us keep our children safe and preserve American traditions of handmade toys and children's items!!!
Posted by Leigh H on 12/23/2008 @ 06:03PM PST
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I'm the mom of two young boys so of course I care about what my kids are exposed to. But I 100% agree with Leigh's post above me. Not only will handmade and small business items leave the marketplace, but a very important part of American creativity and ingenuity will die along with it. There is a way to keep both kids safe AND protect small business. It doesn't really help kids to put their parents out of work. Please contact your Senators and Congress people about this!
Posted by Meghan Reichelt on 12/23/2008 @ 06:23PM PST
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While I understand the passionate request behind this idea, I will not support this idea in it's current form for the following reasons.
In it's current form, it will devastate the handmade/cottage industry.
Product safety should be established at the place of the manufacturer of supplies, by the manufacturing company. If I purchase material to use in a handmade product (dolls for example), WHY am I not entitled to the security of knowing the material/item has been tested by the manufacturer, and has passed Consumer Product safety standards for each material?
It is important to note that when I purchase materials/supplies to use in my dolls, I have purchased these supplies as a consumer, and my purchase should already have been deemed safe through testing by the manufacturer.
Like thousands of other micro-manufacturers, I purchase my supplies to make my cloth children's products from sewing shops, hobby supply, and large chain stores across the United States.
Now I must pay third party testing lab fees to prove these materials (purchased from sewing shops and chain stores throughout the US) which are used in my products pass the standards of the new regulations?
The definition of materials is not limited to cloth. It includes untreated woods, organic untreated fibers, Waldorf toy supplies, non-toxic water based paint to name a few.
To recap, the way the law is currently written, the burden of proof has been placed on me the consumer of these supplies rather than the manufacturer who makes the supplies.
The manufacturer of the supplies/materials should be held accountable for their product and the burden of proof should be placed on them to prove it meets the standards.
I propose the law should be amended to allow vendor certification for supplies that are used for all children's products. This is a way a company, large or small could afford to comply.
It is important to note that companies regardless of their size and product will be devastated by the law in it's current form.
On a personal note, my business may be small. I'm a mother who works from her living room. However, my business is legit, necessary, and there are thousands and thousands of others like me who need our little business in these difficult economic times.
Please know we are not trying to fly under the radar. We want a chance to prove our products are safe. Please change the law so we can make that happen.Thank you.One more thing...I made a little video of myself on this very issue. Check it out if you get a chance. Hopefully we can work together to ensure safety for our children and save the small businesses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWsrvOjQvSo
Posted by Denise Mollison on 12/23/2008 @ 08:29PM PST
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Everyone wants safe, USA-made toys, but the new CSPC law will obliterate them, because ironically, the only companies who will be able to afford the new testing are the big Chinese manufacturers. The Labs in China will be pressured by the Chinese Government to clear products whether or not they pass the lab tests. Small company and single person crafters of all types will be put out of business by this new law. Please go vote to SAVE safe USA-made toys and ALL other goods for children.
https://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_handmade_toys_from_the_cpsia
Posted by trinlay khadro on 12/23/2008 @ 09:00PM PST
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Yes, it is US companies, hiring Chinese factories to make their items. However, the issue may be that the Chinese factories are subcontractors... and the Quality Control when the items are actually in production may completely vanish.
What usually happens is US company A wants to save money, so they hire Chinese Factories B & C to make their items.
Perhaps the first batch goes through the usual testing, and passes just fine. Then the owner of factory B decides he can keep more of his profit if he uses cheaper materials... like the lead based paints. Maybe factory C sticks to the original standards. Identical appearing dolls from BOTH factories end up on Big Box Store's shelves, with packaging and labels for US company A. The actual packing and labeling might not even happen at factory B or factory C, but rather at packing plant D which might even be in the US.
When the lead is found in the dolls, there's no way to tell if the doll came from factory B or factory C, and might even have come from a different factory, if one of the subcontracting companies can't keep up with production and hires out the work. (Often without clearing anything with the parent company.)
When over 80% of the toys recalled for lead came from China, in tandem with tainted pet food and milk products also from China... PEOPLE are going to generally feel suspicious of Chinese products.
And these bad products, lack of employee safety/health measures, lack of consumer protection, lack of environmental protection is having an even GREATER impact on the people of China. A Chinese consumer goes to buy consumer products and doesn't have the choice of buying something they know is safe, they buy an item, and it's a gamble with each purchase whether the toothpaste, or cough medicine, or clothing for their child is safe.
And it's these Chinese factories that are going to survive... not the small US manufacturer/handcrafter, who has never broken the rules.
Posted by trinlay khadro on 12/23/2008 @ 09:15PM PST
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It is not China that is the problem, guys - it is the control of American regulatory agencies by those they "regulate"!
U.S. standards on toxic chemicals in products are pathetic - many harmful substances that are banned in other countries (especially the European Union), are allowed here.
For more on this concern, see:www.toxicsinfo.org/TIPS_kids.htm
and www.toxicsinfo.org/legislation.htm.
I was going to vote for this cause, but didn't because of comments by the organic product producers.
Posted by Liberty G on 12/27/2008 @ 02:48PM PST
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I would support this if these appropriate exemptions were made to testing:
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_handmade_toys_from_the_cpsia
Posted by Zandria L on 12/31/2008 @ 11:31AM PST
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I am the creator of CraftLister.com, the largest online directory of art and craft shows nation-wide. CraftLister.com is used by nearly 100,000 exhibitors who claim a total of over $2.5 billion in sales yearly.
The new toy lead-testing requirements of this act will leave many individual artists and crafters unable to comply, thereby decimating the American hand-made marketplace for yet another product category. And since children's toys are one of the few things you can make without lasers, furnaces, production robots, chip foundries, etc. this lost product category will leave many older craftsmen without hope.
While no one can deny the need for safe toys, a protective measure can certainly be taken too far. Most crafters are able to prove the certification of each of their raw supplies or could certainly start doing so. The problem arises when even though all their components are known to be TESTED to be certified safe, the end product also must be TESTED and certified at enormous cost for the crafter. Our average GROSS sales for a professional weekend crafter is only $26,000 per year. If they must pay around $2,000 each year for each of say 5 different toys, it becomes obvious that NO crafter but the most production-line and mass-scale-automated-production ones will be able to compete. This means all the slave labor in China factories are safe in job security, but our to-the-bone slaving parent's self made jobs are done for.
Make no mistake, as the act stands all toys must be certified. No distinction is made for handmade wooden trucks, cloth dolls, pvc pipe marshmallow guns, etc. etc.
<b>Crafters are asking for a distinction to be made for US hand-made toys such that crafters and artists can verify compliance of their final product via documentation of all raw supplies having been tested and certified as toxic free.</b>
Louis Marquette
CraftLister.com
Posted by Louis Marquette on 12/31/2008 @ 06:04PM PST
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