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CPSIA Information

Published at January, 2009 in Current Events, Lessons Learned and Sharing and Caring.

Welcome! For more information about my Story Time Felts business, visit FunFelt.com We offer imaginative children’s educational felt products such as felt boards for storytelling fun, felt paper dolls, felt quiet books, and more!

My business and thousands of others are being threatened by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which will go into effect in phase 1 on February 10th, 2009. This law, which unfortunately was pushed through last year without forethought as to the ramifications for small business, will effectively limit the small business children’s products industry by requiring redundant, expensive, and ultimately destructive testing for lead and phthalates on new product as well as current inventory. I believe that these limits do need to be put in place and supported, however the manner in which the law was written will result in many small businesses and manufacturers destroying current inventory, limiting their product lines or going out of business all together.

These are just some of the categories of products this law will affect:

  • books, including library books
  • infant equipment
  • childcare supplies including diapers
  • children’s clothing including babies to age 12
  • all toys for children birth to 12
  • stuffed animals
  • birthday party goods, decorations, supplies
  • wooden “natural” toys
  • hand-made children’s toys/goods/crafts
  • homeschooling materials
  • art and school supplies for children
  • children’s musical instruments
  • teaching materials and textbooks
  • bicycles and outdoor equipment for children
  • resale and consignment clothing and products
  • prizes/incentive items for children
  • bedroom furniture items and bedding
  • girls’ jewelry and dress up items
  • hand made baby blankets, booties, and hats
  • religious education products
  • sporting equipment designed for children
  • science and math hands-on teaching tools
  • kindergarten and preschool learning through play items
  • children’s shoes, backpacks and other accessories

This law, as it stands today, requires every person who distributes a children’s product in any way (selling, lending, donating) to be sure that the finished product meets the lead and phthalate limit outlined in the law or face fines up to $100,000. They are to do so by ensuring that the original manufacturer or the finished product and the original manufacturer of the raw materials have obtained scientific testing and General Conformity Certificates for the finished product and each individual variations of that product, all individual components of the finished product, every single time a “lot” or “batch” is produced, whether it is a one time production of a one of a kind item, or a lot of 1000s. With certified testing running anywhere from $100 to $5000 per product, it is easy to see how this could put small businesses who produce small quantities out of business. That fact that it is retroactive and applies to existing inventory is enough to put someone out of business. Currently, XRF (x-ray) testing is permissible and tends to be a lower cost, but is not widely available. By August 14, 2009, all testing must be done by a certified 3rd party laboratory using testing that destroys the sample. The costs for this testing is truly exorbitant except for those companies who are producing mass quantities large enough to recuperate the costs.

The affect on our livelihoods and lifestyles as Americans will be affected by this law, as only the larger corporations, including those whose products are produced in foreign countries, will be able to continue doing business in the USA. We will be left with only mass produced items and lose the charm and innovation of Made in the USA products for children. Jobs will be lost as companies go out of business or reduce their reach. Our stores are already beginning to close down, and clear their shelves of non-compliant products, toys, clothing, and books. Thrift stores will no longer carry children’s product, eliminating an affordable option for many families in these tough times. Libraries will not be able to allow children to check out books. This is a serious problem that needs attention.

What can we do? Although this law has already passed and will go into effect February 10th, both Congress and the Consumer Product Safety Commission appear to be open to feedback for possible exemptions or amendments to this law. Contacting Congress, especially those on the Committee for Energy and Commerce who drafted this law, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and your local representatives to let them know that this will affect either your business, the local economy, the available products for your family, or someone you know directly.

Below are some website links to government resources and contact information, press releases, news articles and media coverage about this law.

Consumer Product Safety Commission:

Congress and its Committee on Energy and Commerce:

From Experts in the Field:

Print and Online Articles:

Video:

Audio:

If you know of any other resources I should add to this list, please let me know in the comments. Thanks in advance for helping raise awareness of this cause!

Until next time...
My Signature

8 Responses to “CPSIA Information”

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  1. 1 Kay Green
    Jan 23rd, 2009 at

    Who to CONTACT

    Call Rep. Waxman’s committee, ask them to postpone CPSIA deadlines! 202-225-4434

    Write the White house about CPSIA http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/opl/

    Call Senate Commerce Committee and let them know how CPSIA affects you 202-324-5115

    Call Sen. Kerry Chairman of Small Business & Entrepreneurship (202)224-5175 tell how CPSIA will affect your biz

    Contact Senators about CPSIA http://tinyurl.com/b1lm

    Contact Rep https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

    Contact the minority house commerce committee. 1-202-224-1251..

    Why contact Waxman http://tinyurl.com/d2d7z3

  2. 2 funfelt
    Jan 23rd, 2009 at

    THANK YOU Kay!!
    Karen

  3. 3 Tina Solar of www.theparentpack.org
    Jan 27th, 2009 at

    I find this very disturbing to say the least. I have a few kids crafts that I make and sell at craft fairs, that I just cannot afford to market after this goes into effect. I have several friends who sell children’s products, on a small scale, and I am worried this will devastate their businesses. I hope something is done to fix this.

  4. 4 funfelt
    Jan 27th, 2009 at

    Me too! There’s been some talk of going toward component testing but nothing official has happened. There was also some talk about exempting unadorned fabrics and that could help a lot of crafters. But it all just talk, we need to see it in writing in the way of amendments! Write to your Congressmen and those on the Energy and Commerce Committee who wrote this, the more they hear from affected citizens the more real this becomes. Thanks for helping spread the word!
    Karen

  5. 5 Hayden Scheyer
    Jan 28th, 2010 at

    I just generally wanted to be able to create content throughout my web pages some thing much like yours mysteriously you’ve made some sort of quality ideas in this article. I had search onto the particular subject usually realised most visitors will probably agree on your current thoughts.Fantastic job!

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