If you're like me, you've probably got a small pile of old kids' clothes up in the attic that you've been meaning to take down to the Goodwill.
And if you're like me, you also depend on thrift stores to provide affordable clothing for your kids.
Well, if you're like me - you'd better get down to that thrift store asap, because on February 10, a new law kicks in that's going to make it illegal for thrift stores to resell any more clothing for kids... that pile of old clothes will be bound for the dump, and parents like me will be forced to go to big box retailers like Wal-Mart to find affordable kids' clothing.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg...
(See FishOutofWater's excellent personal diaryon this, too.)
So here's the deal: big awful corporations shipped us tons of clothing and toys made on the cheap overseas, creating a real problem, exposing our kids to some nasty chemicals. In an effort to address the problem, Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act - but included language in the bill that will force toy and clothing manufacturers to employ chemical testing that will cost in some instances upwards of $2,000 per unit - thereby wiping out the profit for small handmade toy and clothing manufacturers, and making it impossible for retailers to resell donated items.
Also, no more selling secondhand or handmade kid's items on eBay, Craigslist, Etsy, or Hyenacart - no more local tag sales or consignment shops stocking kids clothing or toys. All the toys in any doctor's office, hotel, or library will have to be replaced. The entire stock of kids' books in any library will have to be certified as chemical free - or replaced.
And guess who ends up making more money? The same big awful corporations that brought us the harmful stuff in the first place.
The new testing rules are being phased in. By Feb. 10, children's products must be accompanied by a manufacturer's certificate that says they do not contain lead or phthalates, which are chemicals used to soften plastic.
On Feb. 15, children's products will have to be tested by a third party to ensure that they don't have small parts that could be easily broken off and swallowed. In March, children's jewelry will be required to submit to third-party tests. Bouncers and walkers will have to be tested starting in June.
Retailers could also be hurt by the new law. Julie Vallese, a spokeswoman for the Consumer Product Safety Commission, said stores would not be allowed to sell inventory after Feb. 10 that had not been tested for lead content. That means if the products are made out of natural materials but have not been tested, they'll have to be pulled from the shelves. LATimes
Now, during the economic downturn - we can't allow thousands of small and local toy and clothing manufacturers to go bankrupt or pull out of the US market. Now is when we need those local businesses the most - and now is when young families will be depending on thrift stores more than ever.
So now it's time for you to write or e-mail your congressional representative.
And write or e-mail your senator.
There's also a petitionand a sample letterfrom the Handmade Toy Alliance.
And please write the Consumer Product Saftey Commission.