CPSIA compliance
Certificates required for CPSIA compliance are under currently under development. Please contact me if you would like to see certificates related to any product you would like to purchase.
While Adorabumz is reopening for business in January of 2009, I may be limiting my product line in February. If the legislation stands as it is now I will likely need to close my doors in August. Due to new legislation called the CPSIA, beginning in February I will be required to have my products tested in order to ensure that they are within the government guidelines for lead content, and in August I will need to have this testing done by an approved third party testing facility. Many of the materials I use have already been screened for lead, and as such are perfectly safe. Unfortunately, the way the law is written, the testing will need to be done on each batch of product I produce, whether or not the component materials have already been tested. This redundant process is very cost prohibitive, and does little to make products safer for children.
I am doing my best to keep up with developments on this law, as the CPSC is currently working to the best of their abilities to preserve small businesses within the scope of the law. I am also looking for ways that Adorabumz as a business can affordably comply with the current requirements to the best of my understanding.
UPDATE 1/13/09 - Yesterday my husband and I visited Congressman Whitman (R. VA-1) The visit went amazingly well. He seemed to be very informed of all the controversy surrounding the CPSIA. I was able to show him samples of Adorabumz products, and demonstrate the redundancy of the required final product testing. He apparently was not aware of this requirement as written in the law, and was baffled as to why end unit testing is being required if each component can be shown to be safe. I also mentioned, as an aside, that diapers are not likely to be mouthed by children, and showed the bamboo velour that is the only component in contact with a child's skin, and show how this product poses no threat to children.
As a result, Congressman Wittman volunteered to write a "strong letter" (his words) to the CPSC strongly recommending component testing. He also volunteered to add in that consideration should be made for products which can be "reasonably determined" not to be mouthed by children, and as such will not pose a lead threat. He also will be making phone calls to other representatives to see what can be done at the legislative level.
And just a fun aside - I was able to do some cloth diaper advocacy while I was there. The whole office staff passed around the diaper I had brought as a sample and seemed to find it absolutely adorable - mentioning how they wish these were available when their children were small. The Congressman himself has a 1 year old granddaughter, and his Aide also has a 1 year old child. At the close of the official meeting, as we were leaving the meeting room, both mentioned that they should get in contact with me later for an order. I left them with "You'll need to get your order in before Feb. 10". The looks on their faces when it sunk in that a product they want will be unavaliable for no good reason in less than a month was priceless.
See the PDF version of the information I left with the Congressman - Download here
NEW!! 2/17/09 - I just received a copy of the letter that Congressman Wittman wrote on our behalf.
I'm tickled that he actually mentioned my meeting with him, and specifically brought up the issues I presented!
UPDATE 1/31/09 The CPSC has issued a one-year stay on enforing the CPSIA!!! What this means is that small businesses, while still required to comply with the lead limits specified within the Act, are no longer required to test or produce conformity certificates. This relieves the expensive redundant testing requirement of the law, and allows the government a year to rework the law and find ways for small businesses to affordably comply.
Adorabumz will continue to request and obtain safety certificates from our suppliers, as a good faith measure to ensure that all Adorabumz product are safe for your children. We will also continue to be proactive in working with legislators to ensure that by next February we will continue to be able to provide you with safe, adorable products for your children!
Another exciting development that we will be following closely is Senator Demint's proposal to improve the CPSIA as it relates to small businesses - See his blog for more information
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