PA's Craftsmen Guild respond to CPSIA

[Lisaizme]

Well, before we got off on the food and water tangent.. what I was trying to say (and saying it very poorly) was that I wouldn't be using any yarn made from recycled plastic to make any kind of blanket.. child sized or not. Nothing to prevent a parent from using an adult sized blanket to wrap a child in.. and I wouldn't want a child sucking or chewing on a blanket made with yarn that could contain phthalates.. and since we don't KNOW what kind of plastic bottles a yarn company chooses to make their yarn out of.. I'm going to be safe than sorry.

 

I thought it was the 3 in the triangle to avoid. Back to research.. lol

[Wiste]

Here's a handy list:

 

http://www.recyclenow.org/r_plastics.html

 

And yes, definitely not making anything out of that yarn either.

[Lisaizme]

According to this website ( http://trusted.md/blog/vreni_gurd/2007/03/29/plastic_water_bottles ) #2, 4 & 5 are fine. 1, 3, 6 & 7 are to be avoided.

 

And this site backs it up: http://www.myvalleynews.com/story.php?story_id=32579

 

I'm considering buying a reusable water bottle and filling it from filtered water from my sink.

 

Or we could go back to using glass.

[HappyOldCro]

Here's a handy list:

 

http://www.recyclenow.org/r_plastics.html

 

And yes, definitely not making anything out of that yarn either.

Our area will only take the 1 & 2 plastics in recycle.

 

And I have felt and looked at that plastics yarn, but I haven't used it. Thanks for the info.

[Yarnluver]

Wiste & Lisaizme:

 

Thank you very much for sharing the info about the numbers on the bottle, now I feel better because the ones I've been reusing are #2.

 

I would prefer to use glass all the time. I don't really like drinking water from a plastic bottle (except when I take it to my room in case I wake up thirsty because it's more practical), I actually prefer to drink liquids that come in glass bottles as opposed to plastic or aluminum cans, I'm convinced they taste better (could I actually be tasting the leached stuff???) but they usually cost more and are not always available everywhere. I remember one day looking around me and feeling bad that we have become SO dependent on plastics, but they do have a number of advantages: they're cheap, most are unbreakable or don't break easily, are easy to clean and are light, so it's a hard habit to break.

[HappyOldCro]

This is a duplicate of a post made to the original thread started about the new cpsia law.

I feel it is important enough to warrant posting it twice for those who might have missed the original thread.

 

http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/apparel.html

 

Just received update news from CPSC.

Go to the above link and scroll down to the bottom of page, click on the link provided for yarn and crafts, and you will see that our concerns regarding yarn is finally being addressed. The Craft Yarn Council of America as well as The National Needlearts Association have addressed the issue with CPSC, and stated that they already do testing. There is more, such as test result pages as done by Coats and Clark.

Additionally further down the page are links to the recent meetings.

It does not mean that CPSC has done anything yet regarding changing the rules for yarn, but shows that we are not alone in our concerns, and the yarn manufacturers are taking this seriously. And it is happening in our life times, not in the future as we had first feared....

[trin]

Take ACTION, write your representatives in DC, write Senator Waxman and Ms. Nord of CPSC...

 

Write, call AND fax them. Do it NOW... Feb 10th may be too late.

 

Read the actual law CAREFULLY, disclaimers "not intended for children 12 and under" will NOT apply if a "reasonable" person would look at the item and expect it to be used for, on or by a child 12 or under, or if it would APPEAL to a child 12 and under.

 

(there's a whole section on the ETSY forums devoted to discussing the ramifications of the law and fighting for amendments..)

 

There are at least 2 petitions about this law online (you can google for them) but I don't know how seriously anyone will take an electronic petition.

[HappyOldCro]

New Updates...

Testing deadline put off for another year to Feb 2010, but you still have to obey the laws anyway.

One of the areas that is being studied by CPSC is crafters products...

So do please keep up your dedication to protesting and writing.

Read your labels on small parts and embroider details if you are not sure. Safety eyes only and then if you are sure they are free of lead and other contaminents.

[amydepew]

So, I am a bit confused. We don't have to test any baby items we make, right? For at least one more year? But we still have to make sure that we don't use products made with any lead? How will we know? Say I want to make a baby hat and use a ribbon on it. Do I have to contact the ribbon manufacturer to confirm the lead status? Or not? How about the yarns I use? Does this mean I need to ask the companies that make the yarn to certify to me that there are negligible amounts of lead in their product? Anyone know?

 

[HappyOldCro]

So, I am a bit confused. We don't have to test any baby items we make, right? For at least one more year? But we still have to make sure that we don't use products made with any lead? How will we know? Say I want to make a baby hat and use a ribbon on it. Do I have to contact the ribbon manufacturer to confirm the lead status? Or not? How about the yarns I use? Does this mean I need to ask the companies that make the yarn to certify to me that there are negligible amounts of lead in their product? Anyone know?

 

Companies here in the US have had to certify and comply with the lead and fire proof law for a few years now. So technically, they are supposed to be lead free. The new part is the chemicals in the plastics and the imported yarns and other articles that are questionable. Read labels, and if it mentions materials you never heard of, or not sure of, don't use them.

The law still stands that these yarns and materials we buy and use have to be labeled as to their ingredients and contain warnings regarding the banned chemicals.

I don't believe it is ribbons under question, I would worry more about buttons, zippers, snaps, eyes and noses for toys, etc...that would come under scrutiny.

I don't believe anyone knows for sure, and probably won't until all companies label their articles appropriately. That is why we write and complain, and why the testing requirement has been delayed. So CPSC can study, rewrite and clarify just what crafters should do and how much they are responsible for.

[amydepew]

Cool. Thanks for the reply. I am all for improving the safety of our children, but there needs to be some clarification. I suppose that's why they've extended the deadline for compliance.