You’re a parent. It’s almost holiday buying time. Toy recalls seem to crop up in the paper daily. What can you do to ensure that the toys you buy and give are what they say they are—safe, non-toxic and environmentally friendly?
As a toy retailer and a mother, I’ve been thinking about this question a lot. And I’ve been looking around my playroom (and stockroom) and eyeing suspiciously toys that I took a lot of care and—let’s face it, joy—when buying. I love wooden and creative play toys. They are beautiful and well made. Many of them are artful. Some are even designed by architects. My children play for longer and with more imagination with an open-ended toy than a directed-play toy. It used to be that I would only worry about the safety of those hardwood Unit Blocks when they were used as a weapon by my oldest son (okay I still worry about that) but now I have other concerns. And so do you.
When the Thomas the Tank Engine recall was announced in June, I responded by prying those trains out of my 2 year old son’s sticky little hands and then chastising myself for buying the character-driven set in the first place. When the subsequent recalls happened--lead-paint in bibs, boots and other toys and goods that were outsourced for manufacture in China—the vast scope of the problem began to dawn on me. After the first waves of panic subsided, I drew up a plan to tackle what felt like an overwhelming problem. I’m sharing it here with you so that you can feel more confident and in control about what you already own, and what you may buy in the future. Nothing is ever 100%, but taking steps to minimize the potential hazards that our children are exposed to is not only common sense, but puts some control back in the consumer’s hands.
Here is my list of action items a parent can do now:
Take Stock of Your Playroom—But Not Just the Toys
It might take you a while, but go through the toys, games, art supplies and furniture that your children use. Now is a good time to recycle or throw away those that aren’t played with anymore, or are damaged.
Write Down the Names of the Toy Manufacturers
Make a list of the manufacturers that supplied the toys and goods that your children use. Most toys have a brand somewhere on the product. If you can’t find the name of the manufacturer, write a short product description, i.e. toy dog, heart-shaped nose, black button eyes.
Go to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission website
Check to see what recalls are listed on CPSC.gov. On the press release section, scroll down and search by product type, company or product description. Are any of your toys or other products on the list? If so, take appropriate action. The CPSC website should have specific information on what to do. Next, look at the recent toy recall announcements. Cross match that against the list of manufacturers that are in your playroom. Even if the specific toys aren’t in your playroom, make note of the one’s with violations. Finally, sign up for the recall email announcements from CPSC at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. You will have the latest toy recall information sent directly to your mailbox.
Call the manufacturers and ask the right questions
Of the manufacturers on your list, call first those that are represented in your playroom and that have recalled products. The list of questions below will help you assess the standards by which they make their toys. Note that the European (EN 71) testing standard is more rigorous than the American testing standard.
- Where are your products manufactured? If in China, do you own your own manufacturing plant? Or do you utilize independent Chinese manufacturers?
- Do you perform lab testing on all of the colors, chemicals and plastics that you purchase from your suppliers? To what level (i.e. 100%)? How often? Who does the testing?
- Do you select random samples of finished products from your inventory for a third party lab to test? How often?
- Do you have third-party test reports for all products by type and model? Which standards do you use? EN 71 (European) or the American Standard?
- Will you supply those test results to consumers if requested?
Buy a lead testing kit and use it
Consumer environmental home-testing kits have been around for years. They are a relatively inexpensive way to do a fast qualitative check for hazardous elements in the home. I purchased several surface lead-testing kits for $9.95 each through Pro-Lab (http://www.prolabinc.com/). These kits are made specifically to test home items such as toys, ceramics, and dinnerware. But a quick Google search for lead surface test kits will give you many options to choose from. The kits I purchased contained 6 non-toxic tests each and gave results in two minutes. The test is qualitative, meaning it gives a yes/no answer, and does not tell you a specific amount of lead present. But it does detect the presence of lead “to as little as 5 parts per million.”
Develop buying criteria for the future that you can live with
Considering that over 80% of the toys sold in the United States are actually made in China, it is almost inevitable that you will either purchase, or receive, a toy made in a Chinese manufacturing plant. Think through your own risk-tolerance level. Are you willing to own toys that are made in China? What about those made in China, but in American-owned manufacturing plants? After doing your own research, are there certain brands that you trust more than others? Is testing your own toys important to you? Do you feel most comfortable purchasing only American-made or European-made toys? (Remember that some toys imported from Europe are also manufactured in China.) What guidelines do you want to give grandparents and other gift-givers this holiday season when it comes to buying products for your children? Having a clear idea of what is and what is not acceptable to you will put some of the control and safety back in your hands.
The good news for American consumers is that the Toy Industry Association (TIA) is proactively working with the Federal Government and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to create new, more rigorous standards for third-party testing. They are also encouraging the Federal Government to adopt a requirement that all toys sold in the US meet those new safety standards. In other words, the TIA is asking the Federal Government to create standards for toy safety that will now be the law, not voluntary. Perhaps the American toy manufacturers will start to rethink their standards, and remember that although profits are, of course, part of being a business, being greedy at the expense of our children’s safety is a shameful practice.
Jennifer Grinnell
Owner
http://www.livingplaying.com/
Toys and Games for Creative Play
