cuddlyrigormortis (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} cuddlyrigormort) wrote,@ 2009-01-28 09:58:00 |
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CPSIA may kill handmade...
and I'm just finding out about it. After getting an email from ShanaLogic about this today, I started looking around and this is HUGE! Did I miss it all, or am I not the only one who doesn't know about it? For those of you in the latter, it's a new law that will start Feb 10th that is very far reaching and in theory is wonderful. It came on the heels of the chinese toy recalls to help enforce testing for childrens products. HOWEVER, it was written in such a way that it will make it very costly for diy's and handmade items to see the light of day without being prosecuted. (The following was taken in part from an article on Craftzine you can read in full here http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2
"There are three parts to the CPSIA. The first requires independent testing and certification... CPSIA requires that you put a label affixed to the item that's permanently attached to the item forever. The tag must include when it was manufactured, and cannot be affixed to an item, and the tag itself must be tested as well so paint is not an option.
Finally, there's a cumbersome, time-consuming administrative process. Once you have tested your product, you have to send the certification to the government to put on file; they will send an authorized certificate back to you, which you must send with your product to the retail stores. The stores are supposed to display these certificates but no one knows how that will be done."
What really bothers me is that even though it's aimed at products for children under 12 it may still effect products that aren't intended for that age group -- such as designer plush dolls.
The following pdf from etsy gives all the info on exactly what it is and what we know about it right now. It also has info on who to contact and what you can do to help get a hearing before feb 10th to delay, amend or repeal this legislation.
http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunke
Any info any of you know that may help, please post it. If you have a minute, blog about it and let everyone know what's going on. There's great info on Etsy about this, such as badges and lots of websites too so take a minute and search it out. I'll keep what I find out posted as well.
Best of luck to us all!
--Kris
and I'm just finding out about it. After getting an email from ShanaLogic about this today, I started looking around and this is HUGE! Did I miss it all, or am I not the only one who doesn't know about it? For those of you in the latter, it's a new law that will start Feb 10th that is very far reaching and in theory is wonderful. It came on the heels of the chinese toy recalls to help enforce testing for childrens products. HOWEVER, it was written in such a way that it will make it very costly for diy's and handmade items to see the light of day without being prosecuted. (The following was taken in part from an article on Craftzine you can read in full here http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2
"There are three parts to the CPSIA. The first requires independent testing and certification... CPSIA requires that you put a label affixed to the item that's permanently attached to the item forever. The tag must include when it was manufactured, and cannot be affixed to an item, and the tag itself must be tested as well so paint is not an option.
Finally, there's a cumbersome, time-consuming administrative process. Once you have tested your product, you have to send the certification to the government to put on file; they will send an authorized certificate back to you, which you must send with your product to the retail stores. The stores are supposed to display these certificates but no one knows how that will be done."
What really bothers me is that even though it's aimed at products for children under 12 it may still effect products that aren't intended for that age group -- such as designer plush dolls.
The following pdf from etsy gives all the info on exactly what it is and what we know about it right now. It also has info on who to contact and what you can do to help get a hearing before feb 10th to delay, amend or repeal this legislation.
http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunke
Any info any of you know that may help, please post it. If you have a minute, blog about it and let everyone know what's going on. There's great info on Etsy about this, such as badges and lots of websites too so take a minute and search it out. I'll keep what I find out posted as well.
Best of luck to us all!
--Kris
