This Act is of great concern to all thrift stores and charity re-sellers of donated goods. How do we do the testing to verify that all items are lead and phthalate free? It's impossible and means that truckload after truckload of donations will end up in the landfills - exactly what no one wants to see happen. And what about e Bay and even garage sales? Artisans of clothing, toys and other items are in the same spot!

I'm a safety professional, involved with occupational and product safety for over 20 years. I believe in strong programs and policies to protect workers and consumers. Protecting our children should always be a priority. But this Act does not seem to have been well thought out.

We hope to have some clarification from the CPSC by next week on some of the issues. If I hear anything I'll post it here.

One thing I should have said in the last statement is that re-sellers of donated goods are very aware of the hazards associated with some products. And we know that many people will get rid of these items by donating them, sometimes because they just weren't aware of the dangers. We post descriptions and photos of all recalled toys and electronic equipment in our sorting areas and train our sorters to watch for these products as well as for broken or damaged goods. Anything on the recall list goes to a trash compactor so that it won't inadvertently get sold.

This has come about, the way I understand it, from the recent increase in unsafe toys and products imported from Asia, and more specifically China. It is going to just ruin more small American businesses, cottage industry and crafters who make safe products from 'natural' local resources and who cannot bear the burden of product testing for items who weren't even under suspicion and were already manufactured in compliance with already existing safety laws.

The obvious place to put more restrictions is at the source of the danger, and the country who supplies the imports. All imports should be subjected to a pre-defined safety standard and bear the cost of complying with meeting them. We already have become aware of China's relunctance to work with our import inspections or allow us in country to do it at the site of manufacture........so we can't easily control that, so we 'feel better' by putting into effect a law to control 'somebody' even if they're not part of the problem.

Excuse my reaction. I am a small business owner who has lived with the ever-increasing ocean of laws and quarantines when the problems in my industry have been overwhelmingly brought upon us by imports. So I watch as our ports are increasingly accepting more, and I am the one who lives with trying to contain spread of their diseases by quarantines on my stock!

Thank you Solstice for any updates you can provide. I feel like I've been out-of-the-loop when I heard this because the impact will be so huge and no one is talking about it. It is like common sense went out the window. My DH sells books and this will affect any children's books - of all things! All handmade items for children, clothing and blankets, basically anything that a child 12 and under could come in contact with. And if it isn't tested, it's assumed to be contaminated. I hope something happens to put the brakes on this.

I don't know about anyone else, but I specifically search for and buy locally manufactured products, and for the most part because they are safer and more wholesome. In a heartbeat, if I want to wrap up one of my g'kids, I'd much prefer a little crocheted blanket from the farmer's market made by a mother, at home, trying to supplement her income than from a box store imported from who knows where. I live in Appalachia. And before that I lived in the Ozarks. Home weaving, quilting, doll making and woodcrafted toys and cradles are not only cottage industries, but part of our heritage and 'right' to turn to our own ingenuity to provide for our own needs. Now they begrudge us that?

The purpose of the law is valid, and emotional. Who wouldn't want to protect a child? But, it's ill thought out and can only benefit the huge manufacturers who import the items the world is so aware of now. I saw a documentary on economic expansion in China, and even the Chinese won't buy Chinese made toys. So, this is going to translate into the only toys available will be those imported by huge corporations who can afford to comply. I must be getting to be really an old fogey, because this is the most insane thing I have ever heard of. It's a done deal I'm afraid.

Here's an update, from today's LA Times:
The commission's two members (a third seat is vacant) voted tentatively to exempt:
* 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.

It's good to see that the Commission is rethinking the Act and already proposing some changes. If this impacts you, check out the attached link to the full article.

Kate

Here is a link that might be useful: CPSC rethinking the lead/phthalate Act

have you ever known congress to think anything through before acting on it? ralfsmom

I'm still waiting to be told I have to microchip all of my chickens. I'm serious......it supposedly is in the works. There is no way I can afford $70 apiece to chip four dozen hens, who are born, live and die never leaving my property. The just lay eggs. I just went out of my little pin money egg business. I've stopped selling to anyone after the last labeling regulation went in to effect. I guess they now want to know who owns every piece of livestock in the country and have each animal individually identifiable. I thought it was a joke when another farmer told me about it. The factory farms, however, would not have to meet the same requirements to chip each chick. Huh?

Kate - thank you so much for that link. I hope they will include other areas like books. At least they are rethinking.
Calliope - I can't imagine having to chip each chick, my reaction would have been like yours - this must be a joke! No one would seriously require this! (Ha!) Well, I hope common sense has a fighting chance. In these economic times, we sure don't need something like this that will sink more small businesses. The politicians on both sides keep saying that small businesses are where the growth is in our economy and the backbone of an economic turn around, and then they pass laws like this that will destroy small businesses and will have minimal impact on large businesses who brought in the problem. Oh, and I guess there is also a reward for turning in competitors who are non-compliant.

I have to apologise for taking this thread elsewhere and going bananas with it. It just really flipped my triggers and struck me how some more or less obscure legislation (what mainstream media even reports on those issues with everything else hitting the fan these days?)affects people doing such innocent things like working in fiber and selling wholesome and fresh food and they don't even know about it until it's a done deal. Then we wonder where stupid laws come from?

Thanks for this post and keeping us updated.