Friday, January 9, 2009

SAVE HANDMADE!

I have been meaning to post something about this for days, but just have not done it. Thanks for the reminder Marnie. Some of you may know about this but for those who don't...

Congress has passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act which means that small businesses, Etsy sellers, crafters and artisans, even large retailers, anyone making and selling products for children (including clothing, toys, games, furniture...etc.) will be required to invest tens of thousands of dollars to have their products tested and labeled by a third-party for any dangerous chemicals. This will put crafters and sellers out of business. Example: If I wanted to sell some knitted baby items on Etsy, I would have to send samples to a lab and pay to have them test it for harmful chemical. (Even if I used all natural products--like 100% cotton!) Which would mean I would have to sell my items for $1000's of dollars just to break even!! This is ridiculous and government should not have that much control. I'm all for safe products for children, but seriously this is just too much.

We can make a difference and there is proof that some people already have! Cool Mom Picks has put together an excellent overview of the issue and has created a list of links directing you specific sites where your voice can be heard. Click on the Save Handmade button to the right or click here for more information. SAVE HANDMADE!

2 comments:

Marnie said...

This sounds dumb. But I can't figure out how to post the cute bear button on my blog. Help.

becca said...

I'll email you how I did it. We're watching channel 5 right now and there was a news blurp for the 10:00 news and it sounds like they are doing a story on the new law. I'll watch and see.