If you read many "mom blogs", you've probably come across this by now: on February 10, 2009, a new law called the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act is scheduled to go into effect. (Check out these posts from Like Merchant Ships and The Happy Housewife for other moms' takes on this mess.) It will require ALL children's products to be tested for lead before being sold... whether they are coming from US manufacturers, small toy shops, or resale stores. This basically means that second-hand toys will be thrown away, as it's unlikely that the local thrift stores would be able to handle the cost of testing each and every item that is donated for resale. It means that anyone who runs a small shop on etsy or eBay selling homemade toys will be run out of business. AND it also says that all children's clothing (new and used) would also have to be tested... specifically, each piece used to make the clothing.
The date has been branded as National Bankruptcy Day, and the site offers news updates and suggestions for actions you can take to help revise this crazy law before it puts millions of people out of business. The idea of testing things to keep our kids safe is, of course, a good one... but this one definitely needs some revision before it becomes law.
Oh gosh, this is the 1st I've heard of it! Ah!!! I'm so in favor of the safety, but it does seem extreme. Great. And at a time where so many people are turning to consignment shops, too. :(
ReplyDeleteThanks for spreading the word.