CPSIA update

Robin Horrigan By Robin Horrigan
on January 20, 2009 at 12:07 AM, updated January 20, 2009 at 10:25 AM

In only three weeks, the stores we shop are likely to look a lot different, if they're open at all. Several small businesses are already closing up, thanks to the new law going into effect February 10th. The CPSIA makes it incredibly hard for small businesses to comply, forcing many to either clear their shelves of potentially illegal items, or close their doors for good. My inbox is overflowing this week with announcements from several small retailers announcing that they're leaving the business, or at least trying to delete their inventory before the dreaded date. Already some German and European companies have ceased exporting their goods to America, as the new required third party testing makes it too costly for them to do businesses over here. Selecta stopped shipping here Dec. 31st and HABA has decided to exclude their children's jewelry line from sales in the USA.

While I applaud the efforts to keep dangerous items out of children's hands (or anyone's for that matter), I am appalled at the actual consequences this law is bringing. The very stores and companies that historically have produced safe, quality items for kids are being driven out of business. How is it that a law designed in reaction to the massive recalls of lead-tainted toys from China, is now working in favor of the big companies who outsource much of their work to China and leaves the reputable small companies, hand crafters and other oversees companies in the dust? European safety and quality standards are already stringent and would pass muster here in the United States, if only we'd let them. Instead the CPSIA creates layers of loops manufacturers and retailers must jump through before they can legally sell their products.

And the results won't be pretty. Take a look at the price tags on these CPSIA cleared products on Etsy.

But I love what they're doing over here at hasenpfeffer, getting the word out with buttons, kind of the equivalent of killing them with kindness, a little don't ya' think?

From the article, "Scrap The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act"




Again with relatively few exceptions, makers of these goods can't rely only on materials known to be unproblematic (natural dyed yarn, local wood) or that come from reputable local suppliers, or even ones that are certified organic.



As the law currently stands, libraries are facing the drastic choice between clearing out all their childrens' books or banning kids from the library entirely. Sound like an over-reaction? Yes, on the surface it does. But the reality is that the CPSIA is leaving no wiggle room.


After all, no one has the slightest idea how many future violations lie hidden in the stacks and few want to play a guessing game about how seriously officialdom will view illegality. "Either they take all the children's books off the shelves," Associate Executive Director Emily Sheketoff of the American Library Association told the Boston Phoenix, "or they ban children from the library."

So what will we do with all those products that don't sell by February 10th? Since second-hand shops won't be able to sell them either, and charities won't be taking them in, there's no where else to go but the landfill. While resalers don't have to test products, they cannot sell a product that exceeds the lead limit. How would they know without the testing? It really angers me that this law is soft on the big companies like WalMart, Target and Toys R Us, while driving the small shops out of businesses. Small companies are the backbone of our country, providing customer service in their local community, giving moms and dads a chance to have their own business making products they believe in, giving consumers the choice to buy what and where they choose. I'm very concerned about what the future holds in the world of retail. I won't be forced to buy from the big companies, giving them even more power. I do hope legislators will amend this law, saving small businesses, and our consumer freedoms.