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This is just a small political rant on my part. No doubt you have heard by now about the Fisher Price recall of toys contaminated with lead paint.The toys in question were predominantly Sesame Street and Dora/Diego themed toys. For a list of toys affected you can go here.
It was only a few weeks back that we discovered Thomas the Train toys were also contaminated with lead. The developments have caused a lot of pain and anger among parents. In hindsight they realize it was naive but they put their faith in companies that created children’s toys because well…they are made for children and who would put a child in harms way right? These companies explain away these atrocities by saying that they had no idea what was going on in their own factories or among the foreign workers (in China specifically) that they hired to mass produce their products. But as a parent I do NOT ACCEPT THIS LAME EXPLANATION. In view of more recent events with American products that came to us by way of China… like contaminated food… we must realize that these businesses are not worthy of our faith or our patronage.
My email box has been filling with numerous emails about the toy recall and one of the emails caught my eye. It was concerning Melissa and Doug, a toy maker that is popular among many natural and green parents as their toys are made form wood and are supposedly decorated with safe paints. I have some Melissa and Doug products myself.
The email was supposedly from a concerned mom that wanted to spread the word about the Melissa and Doug company and how they do rigorous testing and auditing in their factories which are also based in China.
This was a quote given in the email that came from Doug:
“It’s quite possible to make great quality children’s items in China, which meet all safety regulations, but the key point is that you have to test and inspect very frequently to be sure that your factories are always following your instructions explicitly. I assure you that’s exactly what we do.
From our experience, the key to doing this correctly is not simply to insist that your factories follow your instructions, but then to go one step further and to AUDIT, INSPECT, AND TEST very frequently. That is the most important part of the process, and it’s something our company has always taken VERY seriously.”
Now I am VERY glad that they see a problem and try to do what they can to make sure their toys are safe but does anyone else see the underlying message here?
No matter what measures are taken the possibility exists that toys will be contaminated. The possibility exists because they and many other toy companies have opted to relinquish control of their products by outsourcing labor and production to China…a country that has if anything in the past few months, shown a blatant disregard for product safety. Why should I as a consumer trust ANY of those companies that have opted to relinquish quality control…rigorous testing or not?
This rigorous testing is no doubt needed because there is a large measure of control that is lost when you outsource production to a foreign country without the regulatory laws for product safety that we have. The fact that a company highlights how they do this testing and auditing only shows me that they have outsourced their quality control to an entity that is looking for the opportunity to do a switcheroo and do things on their own terms. If these companies have to play guard dog like that then there is a problem.
The problem should be obvious…outsourcing production to a foreign country without the regulatory laws to protect your product.. Yes, I see the benefit for Fisher Price and Melissa and Doug….they save lots of pennies with cheap labor. But what is the benefit for me and my child? The toy might be cheaper and more accessible to me but if it has lead paint on it then the joke is on me. As consumers we need to DEMAND that companies take more responsibility for their products and one way to do that is to bring their production back to the US where safety will not be such a crap shoot. This is especially true of toy companies that make products specifically for our children….products that receive daily abuse or can be put in small mouths.
I do not intend this post to smear any particular company, especially Melissa and Doug because I do applaud their efforts. It is the fact that such effort and care needs to be taken that sends up a red flag to me. I think recent events have clearly shown us that we cannot put blind trust in products made from China and when there are US alternatives I think we must evaluate the companies or persons we buy toys from. I know I will.
Some ideas:
Green Toys – made in the US using bioplastic made from corn!
Hyena Cart – A favorite of mine. Just do a search for toys and find handmade dolls, blocks, stuffed animals, etc. made by work at home moms.
So what are your thoughts?
When will the outsourcing end?
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As a mom who tends to live on the more natural side of life I choose certain things that I believe should be bought for more money and less quantity. That’s part of the problem with plastic toys…they are cheaper so people buy more. I think we should buy more expensive toys and less of them to help people earn living wages. there is a good article on http://www.thewishingwellness.com about pvc toys vs. wood toys.
This type of thought should be attached to even more of the daily things we consume and purchase. Can we pay a higher price, use less and spend the same amount of money?
I linked back to you:
http://mamaknj.blogspot.com/2007/08/toy-recall-petition.html
thanks for this post! it is scary. I agree with Carrie, I think we should buy less of the better quality toys. My problem is that the grandparents, friends, etc all buy the baby plastic toys because that is what is readily available. I purchase few toys myself so I’m kinda stuck with what they decide to give. (I can request wooden toys, but I know they would have to make a real effort to find them.)
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This is a great reminder that we shouldn’t assume trustworthiness from any corporation, but must investigate ourselves. Thanks for your entry to the Carnival of Principled Government.
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The September Carnival of Trust…
Next, Tiffany offers what she unabashedly calls a political rant about the recent Lead in the Childrens toys events….
We publish children’s activity books. Our books are printed in the USA. They contain plenty of ideas and activities to do with your children. They are natural, fun, and educational. Most of the materials used for the activities are from recycled items you have around the house. Check us out a http://www.monjeupress.net.
I’m not just advertising, though. We are about to publish a board book called, Whose Bear? We are getting prices from China, because there are no US printers that do this. Most children’s books are printed oversea. I guess US printers can’t compete with the prices. I’m told there is no lead in the printing of these books. Are consumers going to think otherwise?
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I mostly shop online at Couponalbum.com, Recently, I purchased some dolls and saved $10………………….It is really a great site for shopping………………So many best offers are available related to the baby accessories products………………….!!
Two of my sons toys were on the recall list. It’s sad that the safety of our children is put aside for profit. Many parents are distraught with upcoming Christmas. I found a website that sales safe, LEAD-FREE toys made right here in America. I much prefer to support my own country.
the website is http://www.toysmadeinamerica.com
The latest revelation (11-06-07) that the Date-Rape drug was found in Chinese-made toys in sufficient quantity to cause hallucination in children is the final proof that China is pulling out all the stops to cause the total downfall of America by poisoning and causing brain damage to our young children. The use of lead-based paints in places where children could ingest it was banned in the America 30 years ago but our American companies are importing mega-millions of children’s toys laced with lead-based paint and now Date-Rape drugs. Future generations of Americans will be severely deficient because of the Chinese government’s unrelenting effort to not only take over all manufacturing of American goods but to cause irreparable and irreversible damage to future American generations.
For Immediate Release For More Information Contact
November 13, 2007 Joel Joseph (310) 922-1856
Made in the USA Foundation Launches American Toy Website
The Made in the USA Foundation has partnered with BondRewards to establish a website for consumers to buy American-made toys for Christmas. The new site is http://www.onlyustoys.com. It can also be accessed at http://www.bondrewards.com.
With more than 20 million Chinese toys taken off the shelves for safety and health problems, the Foundation believes that now is the time to promote good old American quality-made toys. The Foundation, a non-profit organization, was formed in 1989 to promote U.S.-made products in the United States and overseas.
The Foundation has partnered with BondRewards to promote the sales of Toys Made in the USA because BondRewards is America’s Reward Program. Members of BondRewards receive US Savings Bonds as their reward for shopping online. Joel D. Joseph, Chairman of the Made in the USA Foundation said, “The synergies of our missions, to help Americans save and America prosper, made our partnership an easy decision.”
Joseph said, “The website now offers more than 2,000 high-quality, safe, American-made toys. Unfortunately, most of these toys are not available at retail stores. We will add thousands of American-made toys to the site during the next 30 days.”
The Foundation is providing a certification that all of the toys on the website are actually Made in the USA. The Foundation is conducting inspections of factories so that consumers can have a high level of confidence that the toys sold on the site are genuinely made in America.
“We are thrilled by our partnership with Made In the USA Foundation where American consumers are assured that the products they purchase are certified by the Made in the USA Foundation and also receive U.S. Savings Bonds for their spending.” Chaz Berman Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
The Made in the USA Foundation was formed in 1989. It is dedicated to promoting American-made products in the United States and overseas. The Foundation successfully pushed Congress to pass the American Automobile Labeling Act and the Country of Origin Labeling Act, that requires country of origin labeling of food products.
UCB Network, Inc, headquartered in San Francisco, California, is an innovative media and direct marketing company. UCB Network’s flagship service BondRewards® is an online rewards program for American consumers. BondRewards is an unique reward site that offers you points that are redeemed for real U.S. Savings Bonds when consumers shop at affiliated stores. Every time a shopper reaches 50 BondRewards, he or she can redeem them for a $50 Series EE U.S. Savings Bond. This is a great deal that helps the United States in two ways: promoting the sale of U.S.-made products and encouraging savings.
A percentage of every purchase of Toys Made in the USA goes as a donation to the Made in the USA Foundation to continue its work of providing valuable information to consumers and Congress.
Hello,
My husband and I are promoting our child craft mats, the Oops Mats. The Oops Mats provide the perfect protective barrier that “Helps prevent life’s little Oops’!” during a child’s art and craft activities.
Our Oops Mats are 100% Made in the USA and meet all ASTM Standards for child safety. They make the perfect Holiday gift!
Plus, we promote healthy lifestyle choices, eco-friendly responsibility and community involvement. We are trying to do our part by donating a portion of our proceeds of our small, start-up business to the Autism Society of America through this Holiday Season.
We would appreciate any help that you can provide to spread the word of our fundraising efforts. We are just a small company from Michigan with a BIG heart.
Thanks!
Marla Kennedy
http://www.oopsmat.com
(989) 415-2686
I’m steering clear of toys this Christmas and expanding my kids’ horizons. I’ve found some fun things at art stores, Home Depot, craft stores, and book stores.
Rachel Terry’s last blog post..Toy Recall: Who Needs Toys This Christmas?
We should all be mindfull of the where abouts of manufacturing of any item we buy for our family. Perhaps it isn’t practical finacially, but we have the health of all our family at stake which is priceless. Perhaps if we all buy no toys made in foreign countries, the toy makers would switch to US manufacturers.
Another thing to worry about: If the electrial cord connecting toys to the TV, VCR, DVD, etc. is frayed and the child handles these cords, lead mayl get on his hands and possibly into his mouth .
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There is also many ethics to consider when we buy toys that are outsourced, and you hit the nail on the head : cheap labour. Now, is it right that the labour is so cheap? I bet that a lot of these companies are quite strict when it comes to how their toys need to be manufactured (lead paint and all… and that’s a good thing) but I bet they’re not even a quarter as rigorous when it comes to ensuring the factories that make their toys also run according to good ethics in terms of how they treat their staff. I bet that no one even gives that a second thought : after all, it’s not THEIR country now is it? There’s a problem there too, if you ask me.
Thank you for sharing this information to us, Tiffany. I was really surprised that Dora-themed toys are also contaminated with lead. Dora toys are my niece’s favorite. Since she’s the very first of her generation in the family, we see to it that she has all toys that she like; and her favorite is Dora. I guess we will surely go through a difficult time getting rid of her Dora toys. For now, I must think of ways on how to get rid of such toys without hurting her feelings.
As a home daycare provider the recalls for toys over the past year have obviously concerned me. I always strive to provide safe toys for my clients’ children. I could go on further about my dissappointments with the lead content in toys …. but I REALLY want to share this link for a KIT FOR LEAD TESTING which you can perform easily at home: http://www.healthgoods.com/Shopping/Home_Test_Kits/Lead_Paint_Testing.asp
The cost is $18 – $35 and well worth it!! This way we can test our own toys and perhaps save some favourites from the garbage bin.