I\'m Summer, a mouthy, sarcastic bitch. I\'m passionate about natural birth, long term breastfeeding, and living naturally. I curse too much, love tattoos, and will some day be crushed to death by my book collection. I homeschool, dream of gardening, and swing to the left. 
Could Handmade Toys Become Illegal?
A lot of people have been talking lately about the CPSIA and how it affects handmade toys. The back story is simple, in an effort to combat the toys being shipped to America dripping in lead paint and dangerous chemicals Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). In theory it’s a great idea, it bans lead in toys and forces mandatory third party testing for toy makers. The problem is, however, there is no escape clause for small time toy makers. Your local stay at home mom sewing cloth dolls and selling them on Etsy can’t afford to pay for the testing now required, and could be shut down if she doesn’t do it.
Visit the Handmade Toy Alliance to learn more and see what you can do to help the small mom and pop toy makers. While safety should be a number one concern, small time toy makers are not the ones poisoning children with lead covered toys. To expect them to pay thousands of dollars for testing is punishing them for having the very entrepreneurial spirit that we Americans claim to hold so dear.
It doesn’t take much to help. Just write to your United States Congress Person and Senator to request changes in the CPSIA to save handmade toys. Use the sample letter or write your own. You can find your Congress Person here and Senator here.
Read more about this at these blogs:
- Keyboard Revolutionary – Have You Written Your Congressman Yet?
- from there to here – You Must Be Joking
- Mama’s Magic – Do You Love Handmade?
- Eco Child’s Play – Alert! Consumer Product Safety Rules Will Make Handmade, Natural Toys Illegal
- Cool Mom Picks – We Need Your Help To Save Handmade Toys
- Nature’s Child – Action Alert! Contact Your Representative About CPSIA By Wednesday
Read from the bottom of the page…I’m all caught up. And yet..with all that I just read I have nothing to say. Sorry…its tues and I’m already brain dead! Oy…
Reminds me of this Despair shirt.
~Luke
Luke Holzmann´s last blog post..Did You Figure It Out?
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