So this is a group effort by home crafters all over the country to raise awareness of the new lead laws going into affect February 10, 2009.Imagine if you will, the local farmer's market where you can find fresh locally grown fruit, regional flavors and oh yeah, pick up that gift for the baby shower you have later on. Oh wait, you can't buy a shower gift anymore at the farmer's market because, the new lead laws have made unique, hand crafted childrens items next to extinct. You'll just have to go to Walmart or Toys R Us to get a mass produced plastic toy. But wait weren't those the toys that had dangerous lead levels in them to begin with? What now?
OK this may be an exaggeration, but the threat to hand made children's items is real. The new lead laws are written in such a way that it is almost impossible to decipher exactly what group of items the legislators are targeting. The law encompases, ALL children's items. This includes toys, clothes, & anything designed to be used PRIMARILY by children 12 and under. Also because there are several different compliance issues that need to be met under the new law, it is almost impossible to decide where one issue applies and where others do not. To make matters worse, we have been receiving inconsistent information regarding our concerns.
I'm sure the Consumer Product Safety Commission had certain targets in mind when working with legislators to develop this law, but clearly those ideas were not accurately translated into the actual law.
Many of us have argued grammar, and other symantics, but ideally, some consistent answers to what we can and can't do is needed. If you love hand made, please support our cause. Contact your local government officials. Donate your legal expertise if you have it. We will appreciate any help that you might be willing to offer. Many of us can work with the new laws the way they are but that will mean a scarcity of children's goods. Unfortunately for some this will mean the end of what they do and what they love.
Please help us Save Handmade!
