• View ecochildsplay’s profile on Facebook
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Twitter
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Instagram
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Pinterest
  • View Jennifer Lance’s profile on LinkedIn
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on YouTube
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Google+

Eco Child's Play

Live a greener, healthier life!

  • Environment
  • Pregnancy
  • Food & Recipes
  • Health News
  • Parenting
  • Green Toys
  • Beauty & Beauty Products
  • Green Home & Cleaning
  • Contact

CPSC Fines Mattel Record $2.3M Over Lead-Laden Toys

 Between September 2006 and August 2007, Mattel imported almost 900,000 toys that violated rules on lead levels. Their subsidary Fisher-Price imported as many as 1.1 million.

Now the corporation is paying the price. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commision, the $2.3 million fine is the highest levied against a toy company. Thomas Moore, the acting commision chair, said,

This penalty should serve notice to toymakers that CPSC is committed to the safety of children, to reducing their exposure to lead and to the implementation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.

As we all full well remember, the lead recalls caused panic among parents. Mattel’s negligence in manufacturing had the collective consumer culture in the States pointing a big fat finger at China as the cause of problems.


But it’s not only China.

Last year, the Healthy Toys site ran tests on 1,500 toys. They found that lead is still very much found in toys. This is regardless of where the toy is manufacturered or how much they cost.
21 percent of toys from China and 16 percent of those from all other countries had detectable levels of lead in 2008.
As in, parents: the high-dollar price tags and country of origin do not ensure the safety of your child’s toys. 

We can still pick up better toys. A couple of steps:

  • Look for unfinished wood or natural finishes, such as beeswax.
  • Buy handmade and local.
  • Buy organic toys whenever possible.
  • Sign up for the CPSC product recall alerts. Whenever a toy is recalled, then, you’ll receive a notice in your inbox.
  • Check out and support the Healthy Toys site. They have both a Best Toys and Worst Toys list, which is mighty helpful. If you’re looking for a toy and it hasn’t been tested, notify them and they’ll work on getting its chemical levels on their list.

Image: cursedthing on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • More
  • WhatsApp
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Subscribe!

« Phthalates Used in Plastics and Beauty Products Can Weaken Bones
Repel Lice Naturally with Happyheads Lice Prevention Products »

Comments

  1. Stephanie - Green SAHM says

    June 8, 2009 at 11:16 am

    Just amazing. It goes to show that we need to take real steps to detect lead in toys, but the CPSIA is decided overkill.

    Reply
  2. Larry James says

    June 9, 2009 at 1:43 am

    I wonder if the fines are large enough to really dissuade large companies from importing toys and toy material they know is toxic. For instance, Fischer-Price imported a million toxic toys. If you divide the fine with Mattel the parent company arguably FP was fined around 1 million dollars. That amounts to a fine of about 0ne dollar per toy-import. Obviously FP makes more than one dollar profit off each toy. I would guess anywhere from $4.00 to $30.00 per toy. If you do the math FP makes an enormous profit and can write off the fine as a cost of doing business.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search Content

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter


About Eco Child’s Play

Our ethos is to provide news, information, and opinions on natural, green parenting to help your family live a greener, healthier life! Additionally, we offer personal consulting services to help you achieve your green living goals.

Jennifer is a vegetarian, yoga teacher, gardener, hiker, teacher, and mother that has been living off-the-grid for over 20 years.

Contact Eco Child’s Play

Eco-Friendly Decorating: How Removable Wallpaper Can Reduce Waste

Plants Over Plastics! Repurpose Compostable Home Products

More from the archives!

5 Easter Recipes & 5 Easter Egg Ideas for Spring

Rethinking the Standard American Diet (SAD): Overweight and Undernourished

New Study Finds Glyphosate Exposure Reduces Pregnancy Term

Organic Raw Berry Lemonade, Oh My!

Ohio Doctor Prescribes Outside Time for Children

Convenient Plastic Container Free Dropps Laundry & Dishwashing Pods

cbd salve joy organics

CBD Products that Actually Deliver: Joy Organics

Information

  • About & Contact
  • Archive
  • Blog
  • Consulting Services
  • Disclaimer, Disclosure, & Sponsored Posts
  • Privacy Policy

The Legends of Mistletoe

Green Gift Ideas: Ito En Tea Stones

Out to Change the World: The Evolution of The Farm Community

This is your brain on princess [video]

A Natural Birth! Seamus's Story

Popular Categories

  • Breastfeeding
  • Health News
  • Natural Childbirth
  • Parenting
  • Education
  • Product Review
  • Green Toys

Get our posts via email

Please stay in touch!

You might also like to read…

25 Wonderful Gluten Free Holiday Cookie Recipes

25 Wonderful Gluten Free Holiday Cookie Recipes

Daily Grace: The beauty of the earth

Earth Month

Earth Day, Earth Month, Earth Year

Human Babies Should Not Sleep Alone

Eco Child's Play Donation: Seva Foundation Compassion in Action

Copyright © 2023 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 · Divine Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.