Ey you guys, this is some important info, for people that, like me, love shopping handmade for instance at Etsy. I copied here a little part of the news, but I advice you all (specially people from the USA) to take a look at the full story, via Cool Mom Picks.
Help Us Save Handmade!
Overview
( … ) We’re all for strengthening the safety standards of mass-produced toys, clothes, and accessories made in China, and banning toxins like phthalates and lead. But this year, congress (USA’s) passed the ill-conceived Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, a law which goes into effect in two months and will absolutely decimate the small toy manufacturers, independent artisans, and crafters who have already earned the public trust. The very same ones that we often feature here and in our yearly special edition gift guides.
With this act going into effect February 10 2009 so many people we love will be affected: Moms who sew beautiful handmade waldorf dolls out of home, artists who have spent decades hand-carving trucks and cars out of natural woods, that guy at the craft show who sold you the cute handmade puzzle–even larger US companies who employ local workers and have not once had any sort of safety issue will no longer be able to sell their goods. Not without investing tens of thousands of dollars into third-party testing and labeling, just to prove that toys that never had a single toxic chemical in them still don’t have a single toxic chemical in them.
If you want to help spread the word, you can post this button on your blog or website. It’s our hope that together, we can encourage Congress to amend the act so that we can both keep our children safe and protect the handmade toys and clothing that we love so much. ( … )
Read the full news at Cool Mom Picks
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