SAVE HANDMADE - Natural/Green/Handmade Toys & Children's Items in Jeopardy...read more...

[jujubee]

Cool Mom Picks: Save Handmade

Overview

We're all for strengthening the safety standards of mass-produced toys, clothes, and accessories made in China, and banning toxins like phthalates and lead. But this year, congress passed the ill-conceived Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, a law which goes into effect in two months and will absolutely decimate the small toy manufacturers, independent artisans, and crafters who have already earned the public trust. The very same ones that we often feature here and in our yearly special edition gift guides.

With this act going into effect February 10 2009 so many people we love will be affected: Moms who sew beautiful handmade waldorf dolls out of home, artists who have spent decades hand-carving trucks and cars out of natural woods, that guy at the craft show who sold you the cute handmade puzzle--even larger US companies who employ local workers and have not once had any sort of safety issue will no longer be able to sell their goods. Not without investing tens of thousands of dollars into third-party testing and labeling, just to prove that toys that never had a single toxic chemical in them still don't have a single toxic chemical in them.

Read more for how to get involved, resources, and updates...

[moon and stars]

Cool Mom Picks: Save Handmade (I cannot get the information to copy and paste properly - please visit the link to read all the info.)

[quote]

Overview
We're all for strengthening the safety standards of mass-produced toys, clothes, and accessories made in China, and banning toxins like phthalates and lead. But this year, congress passed the ill-conceived Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, a law which goes into effect in two months and will absolutely decimate the small toy manufacturers, independent artisans, and crafters who have already earned the public trust. The very same ones that we often feature here and in our yearly special edition gift guides.
With this act going into effect February 10 2009 so many people we love will be affected: Moms who sew beautiful handmade waldorf dolls out of home, artists who have spent decades hand-carving trucks and cars out of natural woods, that guy at the craft show who sold you the cute handmade puzzle--even larger US companies who employ local workers and have not once had any sort of safety issue will no longer be able to sell their goods. Not without investing tens of thousands of dollars into third-party testing and labeling, just to prove that toys that never had a single toxic chemical in them still don't have a single toxic chemical in them.

[jujubee]

We must be reading the same sites, m&s! :)

I keep seeing more and more about this, so I'm bumping again and putting at the top of the page so it doesn't get lost in the green news feed.

I think this is a really serious matter, and I hope it is all rewritten to exclude certain situations. Unless, of course, we only want our kids to play with Brats dolls and Transformer toys.

I wrote to all the people in my state. Have you?

[jujubee]

There has been an update on some of the changes to the bill:

Changes to lead testing law offer reprieve for some artists, children's retailers | KVAL CBS 13 - News, Weather and Sports - Eugene, OR - Eugene, Oregon | News

EUGENE, Ore. -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission has tentatively approved some exemptions to a new lead testing law, offering a reprieve to some artists who worried the law would put them out of business.

The exemptions include:

• Toys, clothing and other goods made of natural materials like cotton and wood
• Toys with lead parts a child cannot access
• Electronics that are impossible to make without lead

The Consumer Safety Improvement Act, which goes into effect February 10 requires every item sold in stores -- regardless of the store's size or the size of the manufacturer -- to be tested for lead and pthalates by a third party. Manufacturers can provide stores a certificate proving the item meets federal standards. Stores can conduct those tests on their own.


Some Oregon artists have told KVAL News paying for the testing is prohibitively expensive and could put them out of business.
Roseburg resident Heather Robbins told KVAL she received a price quote of $3800 per batch. Her company, Earnest Efforts, makes wood rattles in batches of 100.

That's not what the law was intended to do, according to Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon), who co-sponsored the bill. It is aimed at Chinese manufacturers who have produced toys tainted with lead, said DeFazio, who says the CPSC is interpreting the law to strictly.
The new exemptions would mean companies like Earnest Efforts could continue to operate. But they don't address second-hand clothing, which does need to be tested, according to CPSC spokesperson Julie Vallese.
However, the CPSC may release a clarification on that issue this week, said DeFazio.

"You would not, according to CPSC staff and subcommittee staff, you would not have any liablity unless you knew it was contaminated and you still sold it. And they would not require testing, which are the two main concerns," said DeFazio.

If the CPSC does not issue a statement to that effect, DeFazio added, he would follow up with them.

Vallese told KVAL News the CPSC would be issuing a press release with clarifications this week.

[kristen.c]

Thank goodness! I was just telling DH about this earlier this morning. He hadn't heard anything about it and was pretty surprised at everything that wasn't going to be allowed. Hopefully it will get a second glance and they'll make those changes.

[jujubee]

I recieved the form letter from my congressman yesterday, but at least it does include some info:

Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns regarding implementation of H.R. 4040, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. I appreciate the benefit of your views and certainly share your concerns.

Last year marked an unprecedented number of recalls on faulty products, from lead paint in imported toys, to unsafe food in our grocery stores, to tainted medicines in our cabinets. Parents and consumers have lost confidence in goods imported from other countries, particularly China, and our government has failed to meet its responsibilities to protect the American public.

Fortunately, Congress enacted a comprehensive consumer safety law last Congress which takes several key steps to improve product safety. The measure essentially eliminates lead from toys and children’s products; prohibits the use of dangerous phthalates in children’s toys and child care products; and provides the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) with significantly greater resources and personnel. This measure, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, was signed into law August 14, 2008.
As of February 10, 2009, stores will not be permitted to sell children’s products if they contain more than 600 parts per million of lead. The total lead limit drops to 300 parts per million on August 14, 2009. Children’s products manufactured after February 10, 2009 also cannot contain more than 0.1 percent of phthalates.

While domestic manufacturers and importers must certify that their products meet these standards, sellers of used children’s products are not required to certify the products. Although thrift and consignment store owners will not be required to solicit a third party to conduct tests on their products, resale stores will be held accountable for the merchandise in their stores. They will not be permitted to sell products that exceed the lead limit. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) encourages resale store owners to avoid products likely to have a lead content unless they have testing information to indicate otherwise or purchase a home lead test to monitor the levels themselves. Resale store owners that do sell products in violation of the new limits may face civil or criminal penalties.

According to the CPSC, resale stores should be careful with the following children’s products: children’s jewelry and painted wooden or metal toys; flimsily made toys that are easily breakable into small parts; toys that lack the required age warnings; and dolls and stuffed toys that have buttons, eyes, noses or other small parts that are not securely fastened and could present a choking hazard for young children.

Although the law goes into effect on February 10, 2009, the CPSC has announced a preliminary rulemaking proposal to provide greater flexibility within the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. This proposal would exempt the following items from the new law:

* Items with lead parts that a child cannot access;
* Clothing, toys and other goods made of natural materials such as cotton and wood; and
* Electronics that are impossible to make without lead.

The CPSC will announce the final rulemaking on this proposal after a 30 day public comment period. You may visit the CPSC website to learn more at http://www.cpsc.gov. I believe this proposal provides commonsense changes that will improve implementation of an important consumer safety law. Please be assured I will advocate for adoption of the proposal.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me on this important issue. If you would like to learn more about my work in Washington and in Louisville, please visit my website at Congressman John Yarmuth : Home where you will find the latest news, my weekly schedule, video from hearings, and information about constituent services. You can also sign up for my e-newsletter to receive periodic updates on important issues and services for your family.

Sincerely,

John Yarmuth
Member of Congress

[jujubee]

The bill has been suspended for one year while the kinks are being worked out. That doesn't mean that the issue goes away, it just means that we have one year to keep pressing to make our voices heard. You can find updated information at the following:

Buy Handmade

Help Save Handmade Toys in the USA from the CPSIA ‎(Handmade Toy Alliance‎)

[RedSoxRosie]

Children's Safety Law - becomes law today
The nation's largest retailers made an 11th-hour appeal to Congress to roll back part of a children's-product safety law that takes effect Tuesday, warning that the cost of compliance would lead to more retail layoffs and cause small toymakers to close.

The move followed a ruling Thursday in U.S. District Court in New York that the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act applies to retailers' current inventories, and not just new merchandise. The law, passed last year, sets a new limit for plastic-softening chemicals, called phthalates, in children's products, and also toughens standards for lead content. Its passage followed a public outcry over imports of lead-laden products from Asia.

Thursday's ruling came in a challenge by consumer groups to a Consumer Product Safety Commission opinion that goods made before Feb. 10 could be sold even if they didn't meet the new phthalates standards. The ruling didn't address lead standards because the agency decided those would apply retroactively to inventory.

In a letter to Congress, the Retail Industry Leaders Association said that testing current inventory for compliance with the law, and disposing of goods that didn't measure up, would cost "hundreds of millions of dollars" for lead and even more for phthalates, which some studies have linked to developmental disorders in children. The group's members include Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Costco Wholesale Corp., Target Corp., Sears Holding Corp., J.C. Penney Co. and Best Buy Co.

Despite what the letter called "extraordinary measures" to pull products from store shelves, retailers may not yet be on top of their potential phthalate problems. "There's a lot of it out there; it's on the store shelves, in the warehouses and distribution centers," said Stephanie Lester, the group's vice president for international trade, in an interview.

Phthalates are "a bigger problem than lead" she added, because makers of products containing lead have been trying to reduce their inventories since last year, when the law was passed.

She said retailers were caught off guard by Thursday's ruling and "now everyone's in a panic." But some retailers -- including Toys "R" Us Inc. and Target -- said they had been working for months with manufacturers to ship phthalate-free products, and didn't expect to be greatly affected by the ruling. A Wal-Mart spokeswoman declined to comment.

The new law requires that phthalates levels in children's products not exceed 1,000 parts per million, or 0.1%, and requires lead to be below 600 parts per million.

Barry Fireman, president of Aqua Leisure Industries Inc., a Massachusetts supplier of snow tubes, swimming toys and other inflatable products, said he expects "to eat more than $200,000 worth of goods shipped to Wal-Mart."

The retailer isn't shipping the merchandise back , he said, "because it's illegal for me to have it under the new law. So Wal-Mart is just going to destroy the snow tubes, swimming pool accessories and the other stuff with phthalates." Then, it "will send me the bill for the stuff that can't be sold, plus the cost of disposing of it," Mr. Fireman added.

Walt Sanders, a Washington lobbyist, says one of his clients -- a toy-gun maker he declined to identify -- expects to lose about $500,000 in inventory.

Nancy Nord, acting chairman of the CPSC, expressed sympathy for the industry. In an interview, she said applying the ruling "with less than 100 hours notice" was "beyond reason." She said the agency expects to issue guidance to help businesses "determine what kinds of products are more likely to have phthalates."

Business News, Finance News, World, Political & Sports News from The Wall Street Journal - WSJ.com

[jujubee]

Thanks for the update, RSR.

This is very unsettleing.

The CPSIA had originally said it would extend the law from going into effect for one year, but the law stayed in effect.

This is very very bad for many many reasons, and if you think that it won't effect you - whether or not you buy toys or children's items - you're wrong.

Follow these links to keep updated, and to see what you can do to help:

Help Save Handmade Toys in the USA from the CPSIA ‎(Handmade Toy Alliance‎)

Buy Handmade

Cool Mom Picks: Help Us Save Handmade!