CPSIA votes to exempt certain materials...

[Former_Member]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a0Xr2Iw1Vi_8&refer=us

It looks like they've exempted wool, cotton, pearls, silk and gemstones...I'm off to find the CPSC memo

[Former_Member]

That would be fantastic!

[Former_Member]

Dang girl, you are on top of this! I couldn't find anything. Thanks for posting that!

And I find this quote very interesting from Julie Vallese of the CPSC (who has retracted comments before, so we should all take this with a grain of salt):

Still, companies shouldn’t expect a crackdown, said Julie Vallese, a spokeswoman for the commission.

“There’s a need for compliance, but it’s fair to say that the toy police will not be descending on all of America on Feb. 11,” Vallese said.

[krtwood]

They left out wood? I know that was on the list being voted on. Sigh...

[Former_Member]

that's good ... i will not be affected, but my husband and i were discussing the matter over dinner and both of us are disturbed ... and sad for those who will be affected

[Former_Member]

totally! so many ramifications and ripples from this! thanks for posting an update.

[Former_Member]

Makes sense to me. Not alot of lead in cotton and pearls, right? /s

[Former_Member]

OK, I am just getting around to researching this (shame on me), but I still have yet to find anything specifically saying that childrens apparel needing to be tested. I found this...wouldn't clothing be about the same thing as blankets/bedding? Not durable...cloth/textile.

FAQs For Section 104: Standards and Consumer Registration of Durable Nursery Products

Will infants’ crib bedding, blankets, bath textiles, and apparel fall under the heading of “durable product”?
No. Congress did not define the term “durable,” but it is commonly understood to mean able to exist for a long time without significant deterioration. Cloth/textile items are generally not considered to be durable goods. None of the items Congress specified in section 104 as examples of durable products are items made entirely of cloth, rather they are primarily made from rigid materials (e.g., cribs, toddler beds, high chairs, strollers, bath seats).

[Former_Member]

it was just tweeted...love me some twitter! :-) I can't find anything on the CPSC website. I'm not sure if the Bloomberg list in complete...I'll keep looking.

there was just a great story on the denver NBC affilliate on the CPSIA and consignment/resellers...it was great!

[Former_Member]

Keep in mind... the original package discussed that it would be only undyed cotton fabric. I don't know if that's what was passed. It's a good first step, but we need more improvement.

[Former_Member]

I am more upset that things that people might consider for kids EVEN if they aren't marketed towards kids, are under fire here.

I mean really, jewelry with small parts obviously isn't for children. Come on now.

[Former_Member]

froglegsandponytails, that section comes up a lot, but it does not pertain to lead testing. Section 104 deals only with registration of durable nursery products. The lead testing is in section 102 and all children's products are included in that one.

[Former_Member]

This is great news! I am curious as to what exactly it means though. My toys are made almost exclusively from cotton. But it is dyed (except for my organic line). Will it still be exempt?
And I use poly-fill to fill them. And cotton/poly thread. Will that need to be tested?
And is this exemption just for the lead testing? do these materials still need to be tested for phthalates?
I know it's probably too soon to get the answers to all this, but I'm still confused about if I need to worry or not.

[Former_Member]

good point Littlepink! That's why i'm not getting too excited until I see the actual memo

[Former_Member]

I can't find anything on the CPSC website about what happened. For anyone interested in reading the initial proposal, here it is (relevant information is on page four):

http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia09/brief/leadlimits.pdf

[Former_Member]

zadyball...my organic line uses dyed organic fabric and it's still organic. I really hope they don't exclude dyed fabric

[Former_Member]

I'm on the CPSC email list...i'm hoping they'll release the memo tomorrow

[Former_Member]

Thank goodness! I just finished making that silk, emerald onesie, guess I don't need to get it tested.

[Former_Member]

I agree, turlepark. I think what will be revealed is that it's a good first step. But I think very few of us used exclusively undyed, unpigmented fabrics. Lest we become the country of entirely beige clothes.

[Former_Member]

LOL MiniMonster!!!

[Former_Member]

Are they talking about wool & cotton yarn or just fabric? I'm thinking that unless acrylic yarns are exempted as well I'm going to have to adjust my designs to use new materials....and if this does refer to yarn, what about, say, wool blends? If the other material in the blend isn't exempted does it still have to be tested?

[Former_Member]

RurhtCreations, the initial memo talked about undyed "natural fibers." So I think it would apply to anything made exclusively of those fibers - including fabric and yarn? That's just a guess, though. And remember that it has to be undyed/unpigmented.

[Former_Member]

OK, has anyone heard of smartmama? I stumbled upon her somewhere in all this talk and she says that she can do testing for $5 per item (i believe it was).

We chatted and I brought up the point that most of my items are custom...so could I just test a swatch from the bolts of fabric I am working with, thread, snaps, etc? She said quite a few of her client had suggested that. It is "reasonable" testing. I was thinking of running a sample of fabrics through my usual (wash, iron, pin, sew, serge, apply snaps) and get that tested. At least that would be doing something, right? I just can't see how producing an entire outfit and then having it ruined by testing could be beneficial for anyone.

[Former_Member]

Holy cow, I botched your name, RuthsCreations. Sorry about that!!!

[krtwood]

"The preliminary determinations would apply only to materials that are untreated and unadulterated with the addition of materials or chemicals"

So, you could knit something out of undyed wool, but it sounds like the second you attach a button or anything not on the list you have to test it. The way the law is written, the CPSC just doesn't have any wiggle room. The law needs to be fixed.