I had no idea my products had to be tested until, 30 mins ago. I have been open since April. So what now? How much trouble and I going to get into? How much is this going to cost me? And what is it that I need to do?
Knits, FTC labels are actually very inexpensive. I buy superior quality woven ribbon labels from NWtag.com. They are a company that supplies many large manufacturers. Because they are woven ribbon, I don't need to worry about what commercial printing inks some manufacturers use. I bought them in quantities of 250 per type and I still have some left 3 years later. They also have woven size tags, so I can professionally label my garments.
For my CPSIA tags I use printer fabric sheets using my standard Ink Jet home printer using CMYK inks. They are exempt from testing. When this gets settled for us micro manufacturers hopefully next year, I'll order custom woven ones.
People can't rant and rave about harmful products, chemicals, and join all kinds of consumer protection groups, and then when laws are written to comply with their armwaving and then turn around and get their britches in a knot when they find out it applies to them. They asked for this and they continue to vote for the SOB;s in the goverment that wrote this insanity. You don't need a bunker buster bomb to kill a knat. And knit I'm not directing this to you, it's a fact, and we have been dealing with this since 2008.
And be careful about the blogs information you read. Rule !, check out the dates. You were looking at some blogs from 2009, that have not updated their information. Mary and I have hundreds of links and pdf's of all the rules, regs that have come month after month. Between the two of us we probably have more information on our computors than anyone else.
We've come a long way , and we have a way to go, but we don't know what the outcome will be for small artisans, We may know in Feb 2012., maybe not. 3 out of the 5 are hardcore enviornmentalists, and don't give a hoot about micro businesses. We don't line their pockets like Mattel does.
I'm glad you're not going to give up, running a business is not always easy. We, on this team have helped a lot of people find a way thru this jungle.
I understand what you are saying. I am angry because this is affecting small businesses. It is no affected large businesses like it was intended to. I am angry because I cloth diapered my daughter because of chemicals. Yet they are still allowed to sell them. There are not harmful chemicals in organic fabric.
While $25.00 for each product doesn't seem like a lot to some people. That is A LOT of money for me. The issue I am having buying these labels is the content that CPSIA may or may not require to have. Right now FTC labels and CPSIA labels do not require fiber content for diapers. BUT that is probably going to change. If I buy $25.00 worth of labels with 100% polyester, then another set for bamboo, then cotton, then hemp diapers well thats $100 right there.
And I am confused why you have two different labels when they both require the same things?
The CPSIA labels are to track the finish product back to the business that made the item, beyond the name of the business it does not duplicate any of the FTC information. The CPSIA does not want a list of raw supplies or the origin of those supplies on the finished product, just whom made the item ,where the product was finially assembled, and when.
The FTC care and content label when required is about what "ingredients" and the fabrics origins fabricwise that went into to the making of a product (to alert for allergies or personal preferences) and how to properly care for the fabric to get the maximum usage life of the product. The FTC does not care where the product was finially assembled, and when, but does want want a list of raw supplies and the origin of those supplies on the finished product and name (brand or company) associated with the item.
