CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act)

Over the years, our knowledge of the chemical compound lead and its effects on the human body has grown, and with it we’ve began to eliminate lead-laden items from our lives, starting most notably with lead paint--once a common coating for every interior. Few of us were aware of how much lead had seeped into our lives until the summer of 2007, when massive toy recalls on millions of Chinese-manufactured toys with dangerously high levels of lead took place. Serious concerns were instantly raised over how many toys contained lead and to what degrees, and the results were disappointing: Thirty-five percent of children’s toys were found to contain lead in levels higher than the federal recall standard for lead paint.

Worse yet, lead, along with certain compounds like phthalates, has been shown to be at its most harmful when exposed to developing systems (in this case those of infants and children). Add in that young children often put toys in their mouths and the facts can be alarming.

A year after the famous Mattel recall, in the summer of 2008, Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) , which had three main goals: 1) Increase the budget of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) , thus enabling the CPSC to enforce new testing and documentation requirements, 2) Set lower acceptable limits for lead and phthalates, and 3) Create new requirements for manufacturer’s toy testing and increase fines for violations.

While increased scrutiny on the world of children’s products is a good thing and getting lead- and phthalate-free for children will undoubtedly make for a healthier next generation, there’s been a lot of controversy over the CPSIA and whether it’s a logical counter to the chemical conundrum of children’s goods. The biggest cause of concern? CPSIA testing will be expensive and sometimes nearly impossible because of swift deadlines. Unfortunately, this will most negatively affect smaller, eco-focused toy manufacturers, who may not be able to afford the high costs of extensive testing and will not be exempt even though they may use only organic cotton and sustainably-harvested wood in their products. A failure to test products could result in fines.

Manufacturer testing should give you, as a parent, more certainty that the toys you buy won’t come with high quantities of lead or phthalates, but there are also some things that you can do yourself. Look through the children’s toys you already own and consider disposing of those that contain small pieces that could be swallowed and/or are painted (both known to be lead risks), particularly if those things occur on toys made in China. Stick with brands that you trust for eco-friendly toys, like Plan Toy and Challenge & Fun Toys, made from things like sustainably-grown wood, natural paints and organic cotton, and consider checking with a website like HealthyToys.org for independent reviews on the safety of a toy. Finally, if you favor used toys from your local secondhand shop, know that such products won’t be subject to CPSIA testing, so use your judgment.