Ecoleeko Owner Predicts Bland Future if CPSIA Is Not Changed
[This is another in a series of posts by Susan Maphis covering the impact of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). For more information about the CPSIA, read Susan's previous article: The End Of Handmade and sign up for her CPSIA Alerts Mailing List ]
Sue Lappan runs a home business, Ecoleeko, which creates dolls made exclusively from eco-friendly materials. She uses organic cotton, a vegetable-based fiber called kapok, walnut shells, nontoxic dyes, and yarns from soy, wool, bamboo and silk. Even her business, however, is in danger from the CPSIA.
“Under the law as it stands, all toys would need to be tested for lead and other chemicals associated with plastics,” Lappan says. “This would mean each individual doll that is of a different color or style would have to be tested, even if the same materials are used in every one. This would be extremely costly to a business of my size, and will cause many shops to close all together. As far as my company, I am waiting to hear if any further exemptions are made for natural materials, dyed or un-dyed, and if there is an allowance on component testing, meaning they would test the materials used in the dolls, not each doll.”
Testing is not only an expensive prospect but a time-consuming one. “My dolls are made of bamboo fleece and organic cotton,” Lappan says. “If the law includes component testing, I would need probably about 5 to 10 materials tested. Although, if they don’t change the law based on dyed fabrics, each color would need to be tested individually, let alone every time you dye another batch, another testing would need to be done. That would cause me to have to also test about 12 different colors of the same exact fabric. I use fiber- reactive dyes, that molecularly become part of the fabric, they don’t sit on the surface like plastic based inks. They are safe and nontoxic under the ASTM, yet under the new law, must be tested anyway. At some of the estimates other people have been getting, I could be looking at testing fees of $400-$1000 per doll!”
Lappan is uncertain about the future of Ecoleeko once the CPSIA goes into effect. “It’s an unbelievable mess,” shes ays. “It’s hard not to get down about it in general. Here people are making items for children from natural materials, and have great intentions, but it’s simply just not enough. I’m sure the law isn’t intended to create such havoc, but it is, and it needs to be changed if not repealed and rewritten altogether. I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed that there will be a major change. If not, I will have to re-look at my products and see what I can afford to test. I will have to cut my line down or remove color all together. This will really be a shame since I love the bright colors of my products. It will guarantee us a very bland future.”
You can view and purchase Lappan’s dolls at Ecoleeko.com, where they are still bright and colorful, like the adorable Waddle Ducky Doll pictured above.
[ For more information about the CPSIA, read Susan's previous article: The End Of Handmade]
That’s so sad! Good luck!
January 28th, 2009 at 5:33 am[...] real-world impact on small makers of such products as cold-weather baby capes, eco-friendly animal dolls, personalized ceramic wall plaques, made-to-order coordinated mother-daughter outfits, custom [...]
January 28th, 2009 at 5:53 pmDr. Seuss Meets the CPSIA –
“In the town of Bedubble, far out on the Moor,
there lived a small tot, who was not more than four.
Little Annabelle Ruth (her close friends would recall)
had swallowed the string from a dilly-dunk ball.”
Read the rest of the story here!
http://www.easyfunschool.com/the_CPSIA_meets_Dr_Seuss.html
February 25th, 2009 at 3:47 am