Getting Un-Leaded with the CPSIA, Part 2 of 2

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Yesterday we discussed the chemical concern around toys and the newly introduced Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act to show a glimpse of the current toy industry. Today we fill you in on how to get great toys without filling up on LEAD.

We’ve all heard about lead in toys–it’s hard to miss that information when massive recalls are taking place and buyers are being urged to throw away suspicious toys. That doesn’t mean, however, that we all know what to do about it. Sure you can toss out all the toys you’ve acquired and lay down a ban on play things that will prove rather unpopular come birthday time, but there are less extreme steps you can take that will let your little one have toys and still keep your lives lead-free.

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), when fully active sometime around September 2009, will help keep lead and phthalates from getting into stores and you can periodically check their website to see what’s taking place, what toys have been recalled and sign up for their e-mail alerts for future recalls. Go through the toys you already own and check for painted surfaces and plastic components (especially small ones that may be swallowed) which may contain lead. If your child has been playing with a toy that is now recalled you may want to check with your doctor to see if lead testing would be a good idea; this is especially wise if your child tends to suck or teeth on toys.

As you approach buying new toys, look for ones with as many natural components as possible. You can use the Toy Rankings at HealthyToys.org (a great site for all things toy-safety related) to browse toys or check a specific toy for safety. One of the easiest ways to assure yourself of a non-toxic toy is to buy from a brand that has always focused on natural, chemical-free products.

Plan Toys makes toys using rubberwood from the rubber tree and completely child-friendly non-toxic paints and sealants so they’re healthy for not only your youngster but also the environment. Safety is such a high concern for Plan Toys that they recently recalled their toy Penguin because of a single incident where the Penguin head fell off–even though there were no injuries. The toys also undergo both EN71 testing and ASTM testing before being released.

Challenge and Fun, another green toy company, utilizes responsibly harvested wood and organic cotton to make creative toys for kids that meet tough Oeko Tex standards. Challenge and Fun is also a member of Coop America and the Organic Trade Association, which gives a good indication of their priorities.

To keep your child safe beyond these steps, you can also take some time to sign the HealthToys.org petition asking the largest toy manufacturers and retailers to revise their products to emphasize child safety and to create a corporate chemicals policy.

See the first part of the post here.

Chloe @ 7:30 am on Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008

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While everyone agrees that children should be kept from harmful levels of lead and other chemicals, you are sadly mistaken if you think that natural toys will be exempt from this testing. All childrens products, meaning any product designed to be used by a child under 12 will be required to be tested, including those who make toys out of wood and finish with beeswax.

I am a micromanufacturer of children’s clothing. I make one of a kind or a run of 2-3 of a given style, generally in a custom size for a given child. According to this law and the CPSA I will be required to have every item I make tested, that means, if I have 7 fabrics in a garment, thread, buttons, zippers, and any trims will be tested seperately, at a seperate test charge for each component. I dress that I would normally charge $125 for would have a testing fee of possibly $450-700. If I make another of the same garment, but in a different size, that again must be tested.

Put another way, if I go into my local fabric store, and buy 5 yards of a fabric off the bolt, and go home and make a dress for myself out of 3 yards, and make a dress for a child to sell out of 2 yards, the 2 yards of fabric, after it was made into the garment must be sent off for testing. Now, a baby can suck on the collar of my dress, but I don’t know too many children other than babies that suck on their clothes. So why am I required to test 2 yards and not the other 3 yards? And if there is a concern about lead in fabric and related items is the supplier not required to test? There is nothing in the “sewing” process that imparts lead to the garment. This law will put all those wahms and grannies supplimenting their SSI out of business.

Comment by Faye Malone Designs — Tuesday, December 23, 2008 @ 12:03 pm
Thanks for referencing our company (Challenge & Fun). Tragically, we are among thousands of other companies across the country that is facing a drastic cut in the number of natural, innovative, toys that you refer to. Why? Because of misguided efforts by organizations like healthytoys.org (the petition you link to) and politicians that blindly follow what such consumer groups feed them.

You know the phthalate free dolls we have been offering our customers for a few years? They will soon be gone, as soon as we have to start paying for expensive third party testing to tell us what we already know…THAT THERE ARE NO PHTHALATES IN OUR DOLLS! It doesn’t cost anything for the dolls to disappear from the market. Don’t worry, other dolls will now be available that do not have phthalates, they won’t come with organic cotton, and they will be made in China…but that isn’t a priority for “consumer” groups and politicians.

If having quality, natural toys, clothes, and innovative niche children’s products is a priority for you, then please join us at http://www.cpsia-central.ning.com and also contact Congress & the CPSC today and urge them to put in provisions for small suppliers.

Comment by Rob Wilson — Saturday, December 27, 2008 @ 10:51 pm
“Sure you can toss out all the toys you’ve acquired and lay down a ban on play things that will prove rather unpopular come birthday time, but there are less extreme steps you can take that will let your little one have toys and still keep your lives lead-free.”

Too bad this is EXACTLY the approach the CPSIA takes– toss out all the old toys, period. And you’ll see it well before September– February 10, 2009 is the date that it becomes a felony to sell any children’s PRODUCT (not just toys– also clothes, etc.) that hasn’t been proactively tested for lead. Products are assumed to be leaded unless proven otherwise by their manufacturers.

If this sounds like nonsense to you (and it does to most normal people) then do something about it before it puts all us home based businesses out of business and makes high quality European toys unavailable! Start here: http://nationalbankruptcyday.com

Comment by Wacky Hermit — Sunday, December 28, 2008 @ 9:16 am
It would have been helpful if you had linked to part one of your entry when you mentioned it so we could read that too. As it stands, navigating this site to find it is so unwieldy (older entries not listed by title in the sidebar) that you’ve virtually ensured no one will. I would have liked to read whatever else you’d written that was similarly misguided in order to refute it. Sadly, this legislation you espouse, is the last nail in the coffin of companies whose products you so emphatically endorse.

Comment by Kathleen — Friday, January 2, 2009 @ 9:18 am
How “green” will we be when we are filling up the landfills w/ all the books, and used clothing that Goodwill and the Salvation army can’t afford to have tested? Yes, this law currently applies to used items as well as new.

Comment by Mindy — Thursday, January 8, 2009 @ 3:31 pm
Mindy, you bring up a great point. Fortunately, a January 8th news release from the Consumer Product Safety Commission states that resellers of used children’s products (such as thrift shops and consignment stores)won’t be required to test their goods.
You can check out the new requirement clarifications here: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09086.html

Comment by Chloe — Monday, January 12, 2009 @ 8:15 pm

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Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Getting Un-Leaded with the CPSIA, Part 2 of 2

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