Made in China?
With all the toy recalls in recent months, we have a lot of customers asking where our products are made. Here are the answers:
- Whenever it has been possible, we have purchased USA-made organic cotton shirts. Because the organic cotton industry is in its childhood, options—of sizes, colors, and quality—are limited in this country. We have not always been able to satisfy inventory needs through domestic suppliers. But we don't see this as necessarily a bad thing, except in terms of our own convenience. The reason is that the facility in India where we had some of our shirts made is healthy and safe, and the workers receive good wages. SKAL certifies that the shirts made there are 100% organic. The shirts are shipped by boat. However, we do want to buy our shirts domestically to cut down on transportation costs, time, and emissions. As the industry catches up to the demand, we will have more domestic options from which to choose, and we will choose them.
- Our other PK-exclusive products (towels, washcloths, Oros, Party Packs) are made in the United States.
- We carry a number of toys and games made by reputable American companies that manufacture their products elsewhere, including China. We make sure, by carefully interrogating our suppliers and eliciting external confirmation, that these products (a) are made in a safe way and (b) are tested by independent agencies to be safe. As an example, take the very popular Surfer Dudes. They meet the American Society for Testing and Materials standards and are certified to be free of lead and other toxins.
We understand and share the concern about products made in China. However, we do not believe that whether a product is made in China or in the United States is necessarily a determinant of the product's safety. Jayne O'Donnell and Mindy Fetterman lend credence to our beliefs on this matter in "Want American toys this Christmas? Good luck" (USA Today, October 6, 2007): "New research shows that most of the toy recalls in the last 20 years were due to design problems by the U.S. toymakers, not manufacturing problems that were the fault of Chinese or other foreign plants. U.S. toymakers also are far from immune to safety problems and may have at least as high a percentage of recalls as China when the U.S.' small market share is considered." (They don't, unfortunately, provide the source of this study.)
Eighty percent of toys sold in the United States are made in China. The rest are made in Europe and the United States. Clearly, this situation needs to change (because of our economy, because of transportation issues, and because of accountability issues), but it will require radical transformation of the industry, and that will take time. In the meantime, we encourage parents to follow these guidelines:
- Avoid plastic toys regardless of where they are made. They're terrible for the environment, many of them are toxic, and many of them are treated with toxic paints or dyes. Plastic toys are often the most popular, so, if your kid insists, pick a few plastic items that are safe and offer long-lasting play opportunities. Better yet, find nonplastic subsitutes.
- Be careful about what you buy, no matter where it's made. Find out who the manufacturer is and what procedures the manufacturer follows to ensure the safety of the toy. Is it tested by a reputable independent agency? How often? Is every case tested?
- Be choosy. Don't buy a toy just because it's made in the United States. Is a kid going to want to play with it? If not, you're just contributing to more waste. There are a lot of toys made domestically that kids are simply not interested in.
- Remember, the problem of toxicity is not just about toys. It affects school supplies, playing surfaces, drinking water, electronic equipment, and so on. If you're going to take a stand on the toy issue, be consistent and take a stand in all the areas that affect your children. Take a stand for the planet, and your kids will be certain to benefit.