Lil Pea in a Pod Cocoon Wrap by Jolie Anne
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), going into effect on February 10, 2009, will be requiring new testing and certification procedures for all toys and products intended for children under 12. The contents of this Act are in response to growing concerns in the US about the safety of toys. A recent study conducted by The Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, found one in three toys tested to contain harmful levels of chemicals such as lead, arsenic, and flame retardants. It is clear that this is a significant problem – but what could this mean for individual artists and craftspeople making natural toys for children? It is hard for me to believe that legislation such as this would require even individual craftspeople (often working from home, with no employees) who create their handmade toys using natural, obviously nontoxic materials such as wood, wax, and organic fabrics, to pay for expensive testing – but it looks like that is exactly what is happening. Etsy’s Handmade Blog published an open letter on the issue, adding this:
Many craftspeople on Etsy have told us that they could be put out of business if forced to comply with the proposed legislation. This is the painful irony bound up in the CPSIA. Etsy wanted to reach out… to see what can be done to ensure that small businesses and micro enterprises are being taken into account with this legislation. Our members would like to better understand how the CPSIA took into account these smaller businesses operating with fewer resources for testing and compliance. We believe Etsy artisans are pro-testing and pro-safety; the problem is the prohibitive certification costs relative to their small businesses’ incomes. Our community is concerned that this legislature disregards small businesses in its attempts to regulate large corporate entities.
Amber Dusick is one Etsy seller who will be impacted by this legislation: She creates handmade children’s toys from sustainably harvested wood and nontoxic paints, reminiscent of the sort of toys being made prior to the 1950′s, and sells them in her online shop, Woodmouse. Amber is a Mama who works out of her home studio, and is extremely conscientious about the safety and environmental impact of the materials she uses: Should Amber be forced to close her shop because such a small scale business cannot afford to pay for product testing?
Find out more about Amber’s creative process, as well as her thoughts on the importance of open-ended toys, in this 5 minute video interview made for Etsy:
If you want to help, visit the Handmade Toy Alliance: at the bottom of the page they have included links to find your Congress Person and Senator, as well as providing a sample letter.
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