recycled wool

[Former_Member]

I have tried to search this forum and the CPSIA site for recycled wool fabrics. It seems that wool may be exempt, but they are probably referring to that which one purchases new from a store.

If one were to use 100% wool sweaters and felt the material, could it be used in children's wear? The garment to be recycled is labeled with the wool content. The problem is that the garment has been dyed so does this cause a problem if you cannot source the manufacturer...or even if you can source the maker of the product and their tag, is this still a problem?

I realize it would need the tags, but even then, the source is old not new.

There was also some information that if the material couldn't be put through harsh cleansing that it may be suspect, but if I felt the wool with hot soapy water would this kind of make it exempt?

I'll keep searching, but if anyone knows the answer, I would love to read your response.

[FayeMaloneDesigns]

Wool is wool. You can't change it by washing it. How old is old? Wash it, felt it, don't worry about it. Not one child has ever been harmed by a wool sweater, (unless they were illergic to wool which is something the gov can't control, though they would like to). This law is 99% bogus anyway. Put your labels on it. Let them come after you and spend $$ on trying to prove something that isn't harmful is harmful. At least it would hopefully keep them from passing some other stupid law.

[Former_Member]

Good to know...

lol - FayeMaloneDesigns - so very true!

[Former_Member]

JewelryDesigns wrote in another thread about labels:

For a crafter the CPSIA label must include at minimum :
* Your company, shop name, or RN#
* The city, state/territory, & country where the item was completed
* The date of manufacture or completion of the product
* If you make repeats of the designs then you may also need a batch number, but only if the pieces are mostly identical looking and made of the same exact raw materials as each other and where made or completed on the same day

The FTC label needs at the very least:
- Your company, shop name, or RN# (yes it a duplicate of the CPSIA info)
- Fiber content by %
- Fiber country of origin
- Washing and care instructions
Other info may be required depending on the exact fabrics use like registered trademark info for fabrics that are followed by a ® or the internation symbols for care instructions.

If I used older or vintage sweaters, I may be only lucky enough to have the fiber content, not the country of origin, although it is on some.

[knitwit4ever]

Here's the link to the FTC website for the official info about FTC labelling. Note that wool has some special rules. Country of origin is also discussed.
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/textile/bus21.shtm#covered

Wool is exempt from CPSIA lead testing, so that shouldn't be a problem (unless you use hardware added on). You of course will need CPSIA labelling as well.

[Former_Member]

I've been wondering the same thing about wool. And as a newcomer to this thread, when you guys are talking about these labels, do you mean you have a put a label IN THE GARMENT that has all that information? Seems like that would be a jumbo-size label. Gah. What a pain in the ....

[moonspiritstudios]

LOL, FayeMalone! :)

[knitwit4ever]

BlueKimono, look at any commercial garment. There are labels that identify the manufacturer, size, fiber content and care instructions. They can be combined in various ways, but there are specific places they must be permanently affixed (neckline and/or waistband, for example). None are huge, though;they just use small type font.

Check the FTC link I referenced above for lots of important info about FTC labels and examples. CPSIA labels are separate but include much of the same info.

[TheFairiesNest]

FayeMaloneDesigns that is possibly the best CPSIA response I've ever read! Excellent!

[Former_Member]

Thanks knitwit, I will check it out because I truly want to make some simple but hopefully unique items that use only wool and wool yarns and rovings...no buttons, no hardware, just pullover the head and wear with tights kind of things.

The country of origin may be a sticky point, but I'll check out the link.

[Former_Member]

The CPSIA label seems easy enough, but the FTC label may require me to write a letter to obtain a no action opinion from them.

The problem with recycled wool, which they don't seem to address is the fact that you have to rely on the labels that were placed originally in the garment you are recycling and most likely rules out using vintage handmade wool garments that never had a label to rely on or those removed by the former owner. But will the FTC allow you to rely on the labels that were in the recycled garment without testing?

So, purchasing any recycled wool from etsy stores that has been recycled from vintage sweaters is out as a supply for children's clothing because the seller cannot guarantee the fiber content or the country of origin - that is, unless they, too, rely on the previous labels?

What a conundrum!

[FayeMaloneDesigns]

Okay, wool is exempt, period. So you don't need to worry about it for children's items, as far as the CPSIA is concerned. Also, realize that the FTC can't take something that you make, run it all around the world and try to determine what country it was manufactured in to prove you wrong. There are so many hours in the day, and there are only so many inspectors. If you are concerned about the fiber content of wool, learn to do burn tests. Take something that you know for certain is wool, and burn it. It smells like burning hair. You can definately recognize the smell. Take another piece that you are not sure of burn it. Does it smell the same? Okay so maybe it has a small percentage of cashmere, alpaca or vicuna. If it has any synthetic it will show melting and burning, and you will definately notice a plastic smell. The FTC also has allowances for unknown origin. Or you can say recycled wool of unknown origin. Or recylced from unknown remmants. And if the garment has a label, believe it. No one is going to go to the trouble to put a bogus label on something, well maybe if it was from China. The FTC has rules for using someone elses labeling, and using recycled product. It's closer to the bottom of the labeling verbage. I think you may be making this much harder than it is. There are really not government agents around every corner that will be confiscating your products, and grilling you for proof of country of origin. Just do your best. Goodness, when half the current administration didn't even pay their income tax, and they blow it off, how can they demand that you know exactly which loom in which country and which sheep gave you the wool in a recycled sweater. It's just not possible.

[Former_Member]

I love Faye's attitude. Thanks, Faye!!

[Former_Member]

You are not alone in your frustration. However, one disgruntled customer can make anyone's day bad.

I appreciate your opinion and you have certainly quelled some concerns I had for venturing into children's wear. If everyone followed good practices to begin with there would never be a need for regulations. Unfortunately, as long as distribution outlets for raw materials continue to purchase dangerous products from countries who have no standards to sell to end users, regulations will abound - especially if there continues to be class action lawsuits and consumer watch groups that storm DC on a regular basis to ensure something is done.

We are a litigious society with the attitude that someone has always got to pay for another's misfortune or tragedy. Sometimes it is overkill. Placing a burden on a handcrafter is a little extreme, to say the least. No one intends to use dangerous products in their craft, but I suppose Congress figures that the buck stops here. Regulation and taxes are stifling the American Dream and small business is doomed. We'll all be working for MegaStores one of these days.

[FayeMaloneDesigns]

Well, thejewell, if you feel that a sheep's coat is a dangerous product then I do think it is best if you don't make anything for children. And the congress don't feels that the buck stops here, they believe that the buck stops with YOU!. Never with them.

Yes we do live in a litigious sociiety, and most of those who sue over an unfounded harm are kook brains, and the ones in congress who feed on the fears of of the ones who believe that all the "business people" regardless of their size are out to screw them, are as screwed up as the ones they are following, and getting paybacks from. Everything is a crisis!!!

Why even ask this question if who want to brown nose those in congress that have passed this egregious law? Do some reseach, has anyone been harmed by a recyled wool whatever, has anyone been harmed by an ordinary button, has any child been harmed by an ordinary zipper? Hell no! You are damn right we will be all be working for megastores one day, it will be a Chinese Megastore. who do you think owns all our debt?

[woodponddesigns]

FayeMaloneDesigns - Hallelujah - Love your answer!